Look Before You Leap
by Maddie Rose
Summary: Griffin is all about revenge and killing Paladins. So he kidnaps the daughter of a high-ranking Paladin to achieve both. But there is something different about Bec Carlyle, something even her own father doesn't know... Griffin/OC
1. The Renegade Jumper

**#1 The Renegade Jumper**

**A/N: Hi, guys! Just thought I'd attempt something new. Let me know what you think! I don't own anything except Aaron and Bec Carlyle.**

I never knew exactly what it was my father did. I knew he had a dangerous job, and he told me once when I asked that he was a Paladin, but his curt tone encouraged me not to delve any further into the matter.

We lived in a fancy apartment in Sydney, but I never questioned it. I just assumed that my father had a well-paying job. My mother had died when I was young – around five – and so he was the one who raised me. When he wasn't there, he would hire nannies. By the time I was twelve, I learned how to take care of myself.

Sometimes I would catch the bus down to the beach and have lunch at one of the cafes. I was totally independent even before I was a teenager.

I didn't have many friends. My unconventional, enigmatic lifestyle meant that I spent most of my time roaming the city. The few friends I did have weren't close ones, and of course I never invited any of my friends home.

By the time I turned fifteen, I got a job of my own – not that I needed it considering Dad's big income. Still, I liked the idea of being independent, and I started working at the café I always used to go down to. When I was seventeen, I'd saved up enough to buy a nice car.

There was one thing Dad warned me against, both as a child and a teenager. He called them Jumpers. He told me never to trust them. Of course I had no idea what he was talking about – I had no intention of giving away my most intimate secrets to my hoodie. By the time I was around twelve I figured out he was talking about people, and so I knew never to trust anyone.

Don't get me wrong, Dad was a nice guy. When he was home, he would take me out and spoil me. I guess he felt guilty for leaving me behind all the time, so when he was home he made it count. It was one fateful night soon after I turned eighteen that everything changed.

Dad had treated me like an adult as soon as I started getting old enough to look after myself. He listened to what I said and respected me, as opposed to all the teachers at school who treated me like I was a little kid to be patronised.

We went out to the tavern and had a few drinks, but at around eleven thirty, Dad's phone rang and he picked it up.

"Hello, Aaron Carlyle speaking."

His brow furrowed and I could tell that something was wrong. I shoved my glass aside and watched in interest. This had never happened before. Something dark came over Dad's face, and he nodded curtly and muttered something into the phone. After a few moments, he hung up. Then he got to his feet.

"Bec, I want here until I get back. I shouldn't take too long. It's just business."

I rolled my eyes, but I'd gotten used to the fact that my father didn't have a typical job. I folded my arms and his expression softened.

"I'm sorry. I promise I won't be long. Please…just stay right here."

I didn't realise then why he didn't want me to just drive home or something. I sighed heavily as Dad hurried out of the tavern. He definitely looked like a man on a mission. I felt a sudden sneaky urge come over me, the desire to see exactly what it was that Dad did. If I hadn't acted on my curiosity, things might have turned out differently.

I left the tavern and headed out onto the street. Everything was dead – after all, this was a quiet little part of Sydney where not much happened. There was a sound like glass shattering, and shouting up ahead. I frowned and walked towards the noise, my heart pattering with apprehension. It sounded like trouble.

When I got to the corner, I stopped dead and watched what was happening with fascination. There was a man – it was hard to tell how old from this distance – with brown hair that stuck up at all angles. Dad and two other men were attempting to hit him with objects that sparkled with electricity, but whenever they tried, he would…it's hard to put this in words. He kind of disappeared from one place and reappeared in another. Like teleporting.

_Jumper._

I don't know where the word came from, but I could only watch with growing trepidation as the fight continued. The Jumper would appear and lash out at the armed men…these must be Paladins, like Dad. Then he appeared right in front of my father, and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying backwards.

I started forwards, running towards them.

"Dad!"

Although injured on the ground, he managed to look up at me as I sprinted closer.

"Rebecca, get away from here!"

I could see the Jumper more clearly now. He was good-looking I suppose, with dark blue eyes and a murderous expression on his face. He was young, perhaps only a few years older than me. The Jumper saw the interaction between Dad and I, and a sinister smile lit his face before he disappeared from view.

"Run!" I'd never heard Dad sounded more terrified – not for himself, but for me. Jumpers meant trouble, and I was to avoid them at all costs. I turned and ran in the direction from which I'd come, but by that time it was already too late.

The Jumper suddenly appeared in front of me, a wicked grin on his youthful face. I gasped in astonishment. I admit, I had to ask myself, why is it that the bad guy happens to be young and hot? It's just not fair.

There was a malevolent light in his eyes as he grabbed me, spinning me around and pressing me against his chest. The Jumper pressed something cold and metallic to my head – something I recognised, with a thrill of fear, to be a gun. He gripped my arm so tight I thought he might break it.

Dad and the other two Paladins were running towards the Jumper, but Dad's eyes widened when he realised the Jumper had taken me hostage, and he flung out an arm to stop the others.

"Don't!"

"Wise move, Carlyle." The Jumper's breath was hot on my neck as I struggled against him, and I thought I detected a British accent, "Otherwise I'll be forced to kill your lovely daughter…Rebecca, is it?"

"Bec," I snarled at him.

I couldn't have had any idea at the time that everything the Jumper did was premeditated. He hadn't just randomly grabbed me, hadn't just noticed I was there. I would later learn the truth about everything.

"Put down your weapons," the Jumper commanded, his tone completely cold.

Dad dropped his lightning staff without a second thought. The other Paladins exchanged glances, before reluctantly dropping their weapons as well. All three held up their hands in surrender. I could almost feel the Jumper smiling.

"Well done, gentlemen."

The Jumper laughed delightedly, and then everything just…disappeared. We reappeared in what appeared to be a cave with furniture. Wherever it was, it was dark and foreboding…and I was disorientated, because I had no idea where we were.

I turned around to glare at my kidnapper, who was looking very pleased with himself.

"What's the big idea, asshole?" I snapped at him, my rage overcoming my blind terror, "They dropped their weapons, so you abduct me to this stupid cave?"

His eyes narrowed. "It's a lair."

I restrained a snicker that could have proved dangerous.

"Yeah, whatever, I don't care. Just bring me back right now!"

His grip tightened on my arm, and I winced.

"Let me go, you prick!"

The Jumper's eyes flashed – bad move. He grabbed me by the shoulders and slammed me against a wall. He wasn't that tall – probably around 5"9 – but he was a fair bit bigger than my height of 5"5.

"Listen to me carefully," he hissed, "You obviously don't know what's going on, but you soon will. Your father is a very powerful Paladin…not that that would mean anything to you. You're the daughter of the second highest Paladin when it comes to authority, and with you as leverage…I'll have them on their knees."

My eyes narrowed and I glared at him.

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

He smirked at me, so self-confident and arrogant that I wanted to slap him.

"Griffin O'Connor."

He had to be twenty, twenty-one tops…but there was something dark about him, something that made me frightened. I had no doubt that he loathed Paladins with an intensity, and even though I knew nothing about this secret world that I had suddenly been exposed to, I guessed I was about to find out a lot more.

I pushed at him, attempting to shove him away, but his eyes sparkled and he grabbed my wrists and pinned them above my head with one hand in a display of superior strength. His other hand gripped me by the throat, and I grimaced and shifted, trying to breathe.

Griffin's smile was pure evil.

"You're going to behave, Bec. You're going to be a good girl."

So I was more valuable to him alive than dead. He needed me to get at the Paladins…this was very interesting. I managed a hoarse laugh despite Griffin's choking grasp.

"I don't where you get these wacky ideas from."

His smile vanished and his eyes blazed, but he relinquished his grip on my throat and stepped away from me. I coughed, sliding down the wall. So Griffin was a Jumper. I sat there wondering what kind of monster had kidnapped me.

Griffin turned and glanced contemptuously down at me.

"Welcome to the war. And like all wars, we take prisoners."


	2. Welcome to the War

**#2 Welcome to the War**

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews so far. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.**

If you've never been kidnapped by a vengeful young Jumper, trust me – it's not the best of experiences. Griffin quickly lost interest in antagonizing me and slumped down on the couch to play Xbox. It was exactly what I had imagined would happen. I mean, umm, hello? What happened to the sinister cackling and the tying up and gagging? I think he missed a few important steps in the abduction process.

"Can I go now? This isn't exactly entertaining."

Griffin threw me an annoyed look, before focusing his attention wholly on the Xbox game. I refrained from rolling my eyes. Boys – they were all the same.

"It's not exactly like I want you here either, sweetheart. It's just something that needs doing."

I was quiet for a few more moments, but I had never really been good with the whole 'no talking'. I was naturally a girl who didn't keep her mouth, and I suppose even this situation didn't change that fact.

"Then let me go. I haven't done anything to hurt you."

Griffin sighed heavily and paused the game with great reluctance. He glared across at me, where I sat with my back pressed against the war. I glowered right back…I mean seriously, why does _he _have the right to glare? I'm the one who'd been bloody kidnapped.

"You really don't understand the fundamentals, do you? You're a Paladin. I'm a Jumper. Paladins kill Jumpers; I'm a Jumper who kills Paladin. Everything makes sense eventually."

My eyes narrowed and I pushed myself up and got to my feet. From what I could make out of the outside, it was night. I'd been here a few hours – this sure as hell wasn't Sydney, then. I could be anywhere.

It was also disturbing to hear the notion that Griffin seemed to view my father as a cold-blooded killer. Dad must have his reasons; he wasn't exactly the whole murderous type Griffin was making him out to be.

"Correction: I'm the _daughter _of a Paladin."

"Whatever," Griffin snapped, "Same difference. I'm surprised they're not training you to become one of them already."

"My dad didn't want me mixed up in all of this, obviously," I retaliated, stepping forwards to confront him and lifting my chin stubbornly, "But you screwed that up pretty good, huh? Besides, why do Paladins want to kill you anyway?"

Griffin's expression was bitter as he turned his attention back to his Xbox. He picked up the controller and started to play, and I realised that he was blocking me out. I'd seen this type of reclusive behaviour before. Griffin was obviously a very antisocial young man, but I thought it was only fair that I got the truth out of him. I mean, I had no idea why he was holding me captive in his freaking lair. The least he could do was tell me.

I strode purposefully across the room and stooped down by the Xbox, pulling out the controller. Griffin's eyes narrowed and he stood up, his hands clenching into fists. I planted my hands on my hips to show that I wasn't budging.

"What the hell you do you think you're doing? You can't just go around mucking up my things! Why don't you go sit in the corner like a good little prisoner?"

"Not until you tell me what's going on," I retorted, "You can't just…kidnap someone and not tell them why. Now answer the question. Why do Paladins want to kill you?"

"Oh, that's easy," snorted Griffin, flopping back down on the couch, "We're born with the ability to Jump."

I waited for more, but nothing was forthcoming so I raised my eyebrows.

"And…?"

"That's it. They think we're an abomination, and they're determined to kill us all. Well, I'm just as determined that I'm going to bloody kill the lot of them. Starting with your father. That's why I took you – power over the Paladins."

I shook my head. That couldn't be the truth. Dad wouldn't just go around killing people for no reason. Griffin must have seen the doubt in my eyes, because an angry expression came over his face as he nudged past me to plug the Xbox controller back in. When he moved back to the couch, he stopped and glowered at me.

"I don't expect you to understand, alright? In ten years time, you'll be one of them. You'll be hunting down Jumpers. It's just the way things are."

I stood in front of the screen so that he couldn't see past me. He sat up straighter, attempting to look past me.

"Could you…?"

"How long do you plan to keep me here?" I demanded, "You can't hold me prisoner forever, you know."

Griffin's expression was smug. "Says who?"

My eyes widened with horror, and my heart was hammering in my chest. I wasn't going to stand for this. I was not going to remain this Jumper's prisoner, idly sitting by and waiting for my father and the Paladins to rescue me.

I turned on my heel and ran. I heard Griffin curse as he got to his feet, but I didn't care. I sprinted towards the front of his 'lair'…but then he Jumped in front of me, and I had to stop abruptly to prevent myself from colliding with him. He was smirking, the bastard. What an arrogant, cocky jerk.

"Nice try, sweetheart, but…"

His sentence was cut off as I kneed him in the groin. He groaned in pain and doubled over.

"Jesus Christ…son of a bitch…"

"It's Bec," I snapped at him, "Not 'sweetheart'."

While Griffin was – incapacitated – I shoved my way out of the front of his lair and into the night…and I had to suppress a frustrated scream at what I saw. Everyone, all around me, was desert. There was nothing for miles and miles, and I realised that I was well and truly trapped. There was no escaping Griffin.

I expected him to be pissed off when he came towards me, and I guessed that he secretly, but he wore his smirk like a medal as he approached me, knowing that I was powerless. I wasn't a Jumper; I couldn't Jump away…but I wasn't a Paladin, so I couldn't fight him.

I clenched my fists, glaring at him…I think he actually enjoyed the fact that I was powerless, the sadist. I shook my head vehemently as he came towards me.

"I'll lose myself in the desert," I warned him, "Then you won't have any bargaining chip when the Paladins come for you."

He shrugged casually. "I don't think so."

I lashed out at him, attempting to slap him, but he easily caught my wrist with a laughing gleam in my eyes. Before I could try anything else he had hoisted me up over his shoulder and was marching back towards the lair.

"Why don't you just Jump already?" I demanded irritably.

He chuckled. "Maybe I _like _walking."

Griffin was suspicious. Sure, this wasn't new – but he was more suspicious than I'd seen him so far. I drifted between being awake and asleep, and I knew that I hadn't slept for some time. How long had it been since Griffin had abducted me? I had no way of knowing. Hours? Days?

"What's the matter with you?" I asked a little smugly as Griffin began to pace agitatedly, "Your plan not working out?"

He threw me a glower. "The Paladins should have followed me right through the Jump Scar, if you really must know."

I was no better informed than before. "What's a Jump Scar?"

Griffin ground his teeth, and I could tell he was refraining from losing his temper completely.

"Shit, do I have to explain everything to you? Don't you bloody understand anything."

I scowled up at him. "Okay, okay. There's no need to swear. If you were expecting a well-informed Paladin's daughter, maybe you should have kidnapped someone else. My dad tried to protect me from your world, remember?"

Griffin sat down on the couch, scanning the room as if he thought Paladins might charge in any second. I vaguely wondered if he was the only Paladin-killing Jumper. From the way he put it, Jumpers were the unsuspecting victims and Paladins were the victims. Griffin challenged this stereotype and stretched that concept to the limit.

"A Jump Scar is the passage a Jumper takes. It sticks around for a few moments after a Jump. Paladins normally would have come right through a Jump Scar, even if I was holding you hostage. They would have at least kept it open using equipment that…"

"Whoa, slow down. So you're expecting them to be here?"

Griffin nodded impatiently. "That's what I just said!"

I had to wonder at that, too. If what Griffin said was true, wouldn't Dad want to come after me as soon as possible? I didn't like relying on Griffin's information, but it was really the only option I had at the moment.

A few minutes of silence passed.

"I'm hungry."

"For fuck's sake!" Griffin jumped to his feet, his teeth bared as he rounded on me, "You're a freaking captive, you get it? This isn't a hotel!"

"Still," I sniffed as if I didn't care, "The captive in question has to remain _alive_ for you little scheme to work, right?"

Griffin gave me a hateful look as he got up off the couch and stalked out of the room. I got the distinct impression that he didn't want me here, and if it wasn't for this warped plot of his to kill the Paladins by using me, I wouldn't be. Maybe he would have killed me.

Griffin returned and sourly shoved a box of cold noodles at me. He took up his Xbox controller and switched on a game. I commended myself to boredom…although what I wanted more than anything was a sleep.

"So what's the deal?" I asked between gulps of noodle, "You say Paladins kill Jumpers. So then why are you pissed off at them? They haven't killed you."

Griffin's eyes were ominous, but he focused on the screen.

"It's none of your business. You're a Paladin, so just shut your mouth and…I don't know, sit there quietly."

I yawned pointedly as I scraped the remains out of the noodle box.

"I have an idea. I get to sleep, and then you'll have silence for a few hours, minimum. Sound like a good idea?"

Griffin slammed the controller down. Apparently, he'd lost the level.

"Sweetheart, do you ever shut up?"

"I've told you," I said through gritted teeth, "My name's Bec."

Griffin waved a hand in my direction without looking at me. He was too preoccupied with the game. It was a good thing – for him – that he lived out in the middle of a desert, otherwise I would be long gone and he wouldn't even have noticed.

"Whatever. Sleep then. I really don't care."

I sighed in frustration. "I can't sleep on the ground! Seriously. What gives?"

Griffin threw down the controller angrily and got to his feet. He jabbed a finger at the couch, his eyes gleaming with annoyance. Clearly, having me around was not a benefit to him – there were no Paladins coming, and I was pissing him off.

"Sleep there then! Bloody hell. I might go have a lie down myself just to get a break from you!"

I don't know how long I just lay there, contemplating, drifting in and out of sleep. I was admittedly afraid of Griffin, of his passionate rage – I think it would have been stupid not to be. Despite this, I found my fear overridden by my curiosity. What had made Griffin like this? Why did he hate the Paladins so much?

I couldn't escape, not unless he Jumped somewhere and I followed him through the Jump Scar…but I barely even knew how that worked, so I doubted I would be trying that any time soon. By the time Griffin strode back in, running his hands through his messy hair, some light had started to filter in from who knows where, and I realised it was day.

"There are a couple of rules we need to set out," Griffin said forcefully as he glared down at me, "First, you're a prisoner, not a guest. As soon as this is over, you're out of my lair."

I rolled my eyes and sat up, folding my arms.

"Yeah, because I totally want to be here. Anything else?"

Griffin ignored my sarcasm, his eyes narrowed and a displeased expression on his face. God, he could be just a _bit_ nicer.

"Second, there is no way I am Jumping you."

My disinterest turned to astonishment. Did Griffin just say what I think he'd said? My eyebrows contracted into a frown and I observed him suspiciously.  
"Well, glad we've got that sorted out. Because I don't exactly want to jump you either…"

Griffin threw back his head when he realised what sort of context I'd taken that in. Of course, it was pretty much unavoidable – it did sound pretty suss.

"No! Bloody hell, no. You know, I'm a Jumper? Jumping, Jumper, get it yet?"

"Oh." I felt like an idiot as I realised my mistake, and I tried valiantly not to flush.  
Griffin looked a bit put out, but he continued like nothing had happened.

"Third, I know I have to bloody feed you, but I am not letting you have alcohol. You're probably underage anyway."

I raised my eyebrows at that. "Excuse me? What are you, my dad? I'm _eighteen_, thank you very much."

Griffin rolled his eyes, obviously not caring either way.

"Whatever. The last thing I need on my hands is a drunk teenager."

As Griffin stomped out of the room, little did either of us know that he would be breaking every one of those rules.


	3. Paladin Girl and Jumper Boy

**#3 Paladin Girl and Jumper Boy**

**A/N: School is back, so forgive me if the updates are slower than usual.**

"You know, it would be really nice if I could have a wash or something."

My guess was that I'd been here around two, maybe three days – and I had been a little nervous about asking beforehand. But the truth was, now I was getting sweaty and gross, and I really needed a wash. I didn't care about this prisoner shit…I needed to be clean.

Griffin sighed, and I knew he was irritated – well, what else was new? He had become more relaxed about Jumping after realising there was nowhere I could go. He'd Jumped twice since I'd been here, and in the hours of solitude I took to playing his Xbox and erasing his high levels, replacing them with what I'd got up to. Griffin hadn't noticed this yet.

"Fine. The shower's down the hall to your left. There are towels in the cupboard. Now just bloody well leave me alone."

As I scavenged through the towel cabinet, I realised what the real issue was. I padded back down the hall and cleared my throat noisily. Griffin ignored me, his attention focused on his stupid Xbox game, but when he realised I wasn't just going to go away, he tossed down the remote and got up with his customary glower.

"What's your problem?" he demanded.

My anger had been simmering inside me for some time now, but now I'd reached boiling point. What the _fuck_? Where did Griffin get the right to speak to me the way he did. I had been afraid of him once, but I wasn't anymore. Now I was just seriously pissed.

"Excuse me?" I exclaimed, my eyes narrowing dangerously – an indication that anyone with an ounce of sense would have taken as their cue to back off, "_You _kidnapped _me_, Jumper Boy. It's not my fault you didn't think of half of this shit beforehand. What happens if I need feeding, huh? Or maybe I'm going to need more clothes because I sure as hell can't stay in this forever? OR WHAT IF I NEED SOME PADS BECAUSE I HAVE MY PERIOD?"

The last part was mainly to freak him out, and it worked. Griffin's eyes widened, and I think it was because of the 'period' part. Good, I thought savagely, for once I was managing to gain the upper hand.

"When are you gonna learn, Paladin girl?" Griffin's sneer was back in moments, "This isn't a babysitting service. I'm not going to treat you like you're a freaking princess."

Despite this, I could see his resolve beginning to waver. He jammed his hands into the pockets of his black leather jacket. Clearly, he'd been expecting some weak-willed, mild-mannered little Paladin girl – and that wasn't what I was.

"Look," Griffin's tone was sharp, "I can't take you back home, if that's what you're expecting. It's too dangerous, especially for a bunch of clothes…"

I folded my arms and raised my eyebrows. "Well, unless you're willing to lend me some of yours…"

He held up a hand impatiently. "No, shut up and listen! I said I can't take you home. That's not to say that I'm not going to get you some clothes! By all means, if that's what it takes to finally shut you up, I'll do it."

"Oh, that and my life back," I stated airily, and then I glanced at Griffin suspiciously, "Wait…where are _you _going to find women's clothes? Don't tell me you have a stash."

Griffin looked slightly pained. "No. I am going to take you…shopping." He looked as though he'd just suggested he was going to go and confess his undying love for a Paladin.

A grin spread across my face, and I know it was somewhat sadistic that I was enjoying watching Griffin dither.

"Goodie."

Griffin Jumped us both to a shopping centre in Sydney that I knew of. He had been really reluctant to take me back to the city I'd lived in, but I had convinced him to lie low while I did some shopping and then I'd meet him back underneath the huge clock just after midday…umm, yeah right.

I hadn't thought Griffin was that gullible, and he wasn't. He insisted that he was going to tail me while I shopped, keeping a close eye on me to make sure I didn't attempt to escape. Great, just what I needed.

Luckily I had my wallet on me still from the other night, complete with my credit card. I decided to go in a lingerie shop just to embarrass Griffin, holding up thongs and the frilliest bras I could find. Outside the shop, Griffin was studiously ignoring me.

I couldn't help myself. Grinning, I picked up a pale pink bra and waved it at him.

"What do you think, darling?" I shouted out to him, causing several middle-aged women to turn and look at me with alarm, "C or D cup?"

If looks could kill, I'd be dead and buried. Biting back laughter, I stowed the bra back on the rack – and nearly jumped out of my skin when I found myself face to face with a young blond man that I recognised.

"Jules?"

Jules Wilson had been in my year during high school. Of course, he'd been one of the 'cool guys' – but he'd always had a level of respect for me that I'd found puzzling. I had heard Dad discussing once that Jules was training to become a Paladin, but by now I'm guessing he was the real deal.

Jules's eyes widened in shock. "Bec? What the…why are you here? You were missing; your dad's gone crazy looking for you…"

My eyes flicked between Griffin and Jules. I needed to do this quickly, so I looked deep into Jules's eyes and took a breath.

"I was kidnapped, okay? It's a long story…but that's the guy outside. Psycho hair, early twenties…"

Jules nodded, his eyes hardening. "Yeah, I see him. I'm gonna rip the hair from his…"

I shook my head fervently. "Jules. Seriously."

Jules turned back to look at me, and I realised with sudden shock that he wasn't joking.

"I'm not kidding, Bec. He's a Jumper. Paladins _fry _Jumpers."

I couldn't exactly object to this. After all, Griffin had kidnapped me. However, a brutal massacre in the middle of a shopping centre wasn't exactly something that should be taken lightly. Griffin might be many things, even evil…I wasn't quite sure…but I didn't know if he deserved to die.

"You just need to get me out of here," I told Jules urgently, "Don't kill him, for God's sake. You'll cause a scene. We just need a distraction. You just do something, and…oh shit."

Griffin had been frowning the whole time I'd been talking to Jules, and now he was getting suspicious. He had been good at reading body language, and the desperate expression on my face wasn't hard to see. In fact, it was a dead giveaway.

"What's going on?" Griffin demanded, storming up and glaring at Jules, "Do you have a problem?"

His eyes flashed when he realised on glance that Jules was a Paladin, and Jules stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he stepped forward. The middle-aged women had started to whisper and point, and I guessed they thought this was just another tiff between jealous young adults. They really had no idea…and a couple of days ago, I wouldn't have either.

"I think you know exactly what my problem is. _You_." Jules prodded Griffin none too gently in the chest, and I could see the Jumper beginning to fire up. "You should be glad that I don't tear you apart right here, Jumper. Only reason I don't is because…actually, I don't have a reason. Want to go, Jumper? You want to mess with me?"

"Jules!" I was mortified. Everyone was beginning to stare, and the middle-aged women were gaping. "You're making a scene."

He rounded on me. "_I'm _making a scene? I'm not the one waving around underwear with my face on a missing poster! By the way? I'm willing to bet money that it's a D."

Flushing furiously, I folded my arms over my chest as Jules turned his attention back on Griffin – who promptly punched him in the face. The middle-aged women screamed collectively, and one of the staff marched towards us with a resolute expression on her face.

"I think you should leave the store," she said forcefully, "Now."

Jules looked like he was all too ready to object. I was unsure what to do, until Griffin grabbed me by the arm. _Shit. Not again._

"Yeah, we're leaving," Griffin said, pulling me towards the door, "I'm just going to take my stuff and go."

Jules marched towards Griffin with a livid expression, but the Jumper laughed almost insanely and flicked out a switchblade, pressing it to my throat. What the fuck? I can't tell you how sick and tired I was getting of these hostages situations. A weapon would be really good right now.

I kicked Griffin in the shin, attempting to make him let me go, but despite the fact that he hissed in pain, everything started to blur…and I knew we'd Jumped when Griffin's lair swam into focus. Griffin withdrew the switchblade and pushed me away from him. My bag of clothes toppled to the floor, contents scattering.

"What's the matter with you?" I demanded of him, "Aren't you done yet? Aren't you sick of holding me prisoner yet?"

Griffin glowered at me. "You're a pain in the ass, but you're going to make the Paladins come swarming right into my trap. Watch this, sweetheart."

He turned back to where he'd just Jumped…and there was nothing there. He looked startled as he whirled around to look accusingly at me. I was instantly on the defensive.

"What?" I snapped, "Don't look at me like that."

"There should have been a Jump Scar," Griffin retorted, gesturing at thin air, "Right there. You know, Jump Scar? I've bloody explained them enough times."

I ground my teeth in irritation. "Yeah, I get it."

We both stared at the empty space. From what Griffin had told me, after a Jump, there was a Jump Scar left for a few moments. Instead of it being present, there was nothingness. The Paladins weren't coming, because there was nothing there.


	4. The Shade

**#4 The Shade**

**A/N: This chapter was…complicated. I hope you like it. Give me your opinion on Bec's ability…I'm a little concerned…**

Griffin was eyeing me suspiciously as he marched across the room and grabbed me by the shoulders in a bruising grip and shook me hard. His eyes were blazing; evidently, things weren't going at all as he'd planned.

"What did you do?" he snarled, his expression livid.

I had no idea what Griffin was on about. How could I possibly be responsible for this? He was the Jumper. I knew nothing about anything, so why did he think I would know what had just happened. I pulled my arms from his grasp and took a step back.

I shook my head fervently. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just a Paladin's daughter, remember? My dad kept all this from me."

Griffin gestured at where the Jump Scar should have been and there was something else there. I realised with a jolt of surprise that it was panic. I never thought I would have seen fiery-tempered Griffin _panicked_. To me, this was just the absence of a Jump Scar…but to Griffin, apparently it meant a whole lot more.

I laughed mirthlessly, folding my arms across my chest.

"You're playing some kind of game with me. Look, _Griffin,_ just because I don't know anything about this whole Jumper/Paladin war doesn't mean you can use trippy shit on me like this. If you're trying to be a moron, it's definitely working."

"It's not me!" Griffin burst out furiously, jabbing a finger in my direction, "It's _you_."

I was beginning to realise that Griffin was deadly serious. He'd come from thinking that I was a helpless Paladin's kid to something that made him apprehensive. He eyed me as if I was holding a bomb.

On the one hand, it would have been nice to play along, pretending I was all that jazz and scaring the shit out of Griffin…but then I would have to know what I was. Instead I just stared at him, dumbfounded, as he advanced with a menacing gleam in his eyes.

"Now I know exactly what you are." His tone was low and dark. I didn't like it one bit.

I forced a saccharine smile. "I don't know what you're on about, I really don't."

He looked half-amused, half-frustrated. "You honestly don't know?"

I really, _really _wanted to hit him. "No shit."

Griffin ran his hands through his unkempt hair and sat down heavily, shooting me a glower.

"You really are like a child, did you know that?"

I didn't rise to the bait. I knew that Griffin _had _to explain this. His eyes were both troubled and triumphant and I wasn't sure if this was good or bad just yet.

"Jumpers are not normal. We have abilities far beyond the normal, and that's why the Paladins hate us and want to kill us. We're a threat to everyday humanity. We don't _fit_, sweetheart."

I planted my hands on my hips. I'd heard his whole sob story about how Paladins killed Jumpers because of their abilities. I had to think there was more to it than that – especially considering my dad was a very high-ranking Paladin. Of course I didn't like to think that he might just be a bloodthirsty killer. He was my _dad_.

"But that's not the point," His tone was bitter now, "There are people with abilities – different to ours, but still hunted. Luckily for them, they're really rare…only about of them every century."

He licked his lips and looked at me meaningfully.

"They're called Shades."

If I was supposed to know what that meant, then Griffin must have been disappointed. I raised my eyebrows sceptically.

"Sooo…"

"They can hide Jumpers!" snapped Griffin, quickly growing impatient, "They're extremely rare, like I said…usually female…and they Shadow Jumpers."

I had no idea what he was going on about, but I was starting to get the horrible suspicion that it was related to me somehow. My stomach started to freefall, corkscrewing downwards into a bottomless pit.

"Shadow?"

Griffin clenched his hands into fists. "If Shades work with Jumpers, then all Jumpers in the Shade's immediate proximity are safe, okay? It means that Jumpers can never be found if they stay with a Shade."

I bit my lip hard as I understood. "They can close Jump Scars…"

Griffin jerked his head into a nod. "That's only the beginning. With a Shade around, a Jumper's practically invisible. Only if a Paladin is looking straight at them when they Jump would they know the truth."

I was struggling to believe this. It couldn't be true. Griffin had always thought holding me hostage would bring about his salvation…and now it could, just in a different way than he'd expected. Instead of leading the Paladins to him, my presence was protecting him.

I staggered backwards, slowly shaking my head.

"I'm…I'm a Shade?"

Griffin snorted. "You're not stating the obvious much."

Paladins weren't going to be following us through Jump Scars, because there weren't going to be any. No wonder Griffin had been so confused when neither my dad nor Jules had followed us through immediately.

I didn't feel so good all of a sudden. I sat down hard, my head in my hands. What was I supposed to do? I couldn't Jump, but the Paladins couldn't come for me. How was I ever supposed to escape Griffin now that he'd exposed this terrible truth?

"I don't believe you," I whispered, but my voice as weak as my self-belief.

Griffin didn't answer. He didn't need to. We both knew what I was and there was no denying it. Besides, Griffin wasn't the sort of guy who'd make that kind of crap up. All I could do was hope this was a horrible nightmare, and I was going to wake up.

Griffin had Jumped out for a drink somewhere, and in that time, I was beginning to grow more and more frightened, the fear inside me kicking up to new levels. I had come to accept what I was, but that was only a problem – because I knew Griffin would, too. The thing that terrified me the most was what his eventual conclusion to this entire situation was going to be.

He'd intended to use me to lure in the Paladins…which was no longer an option considering my infuriating new abilities. I wished with all my heart that I was just a normal teenage girl, because that would be easier. I had the horrible feeling inside me that now Griffin had learned I was a Shade, he would attempt to reap the benefits. He would live life without having to worry about Paladins coming after him.

He would never let me go.

I didn't know if I was overreacting or not, but I couldn't fight down the trepidation that threatened to overwhelm me. Griffin was a young man of vengeance and hatred; he would do whatever was in his power to defy the Paladins. I needed to get _out_. I wasn't going to be part of any situation.

No one was coming to save me, so I had to save myself. Surely that couldn't be too hard? Griffin had been out for hours now. I needed to make my move while he was still gone.

Speak of the devil. Griffin Jumped back into his lair, leaving a Jump Scar behind him. He staggered and his movements were unco-ordinated, and I realised that he was drunk. Trust him to go out and have a great time while I was stuck here playing freaking Xbox. I eyed him warily as he smirked and walked towards me.

"Hey honey, I'm home."

He must have been _really _drunk. My eyes narrowed and I observed him carefully. He had kidnapped me and planned to keep me here for…I didn't know how long. I needed to make my move. It was now or never, and I stiffened in astonishment as Griffin looked me up and down in a way I recognised. I was eighteen years old; I knew when a guy was checking me out.

"Griffin, what the fuck? I'm Bec Carlyle, daughter of Aaron Carlyle…you know, Paladin?"

He whipped around. "Where?"

I rolled my eyes. Griffin was so out of it that it wasn't funny. He was going to be so hung-over by the morning…by which time, I would (hopefully) be long gone.

"Did I tell you that you're hot?"

So now he was trying to flirt with me? Oh, this just kept getting better. I gulped, hoping that he wouldn't remember what I was about to do. I moved closer, counting on Griffin's intoxicated state to keep him from suspecting anything.

"I'm not sorry."

My fist swung forward, colliding with Griffin's jaw. The impact knocked him down, and I must have packed a powerful punch, because he didn't move again. I nudged him with my foot, hoping that he was just knocked out cold. Griffin may have been a black-hearted bastard…but I wasn't a murderer.

I didn't care about the clothes and the worthless shit I'd bought. That had been compensation for my abduction. I didn't need it. Right now all I needed to go was get out of here before Griffin woke up.

"Think, Bec, think!" I scolded myself.

I moved toward where Griffin's Jump Scar had been, tilting my head to the side in the futile hope that it was still there. It was just thin air…but then there was something rippling there, and my shocked expression morphed into a delighted smile as I realised what I'd done.

Being a Shade was more epic than I'd thought. Not only could I close Jump Scars, but apparently I could open them too. This was some pretty trippy shit. I watched as the Jump Scar wavered in front of me, beckoning me to it.

Grinning, I didn't even turn back as I stepped through the Jump Scar. It was a feeling a lot like Jumping, and when I was spat out onto the streets of what was clearly New York City – hello, Empire State Building – the Jump Scar immediately closed behind me. I stood outside a glitzy-looking bar, and then I heard a woman's shocked voice.

"_Another _one?"


	5. Divided and United

**#5 Divided and United**

**A/N: Sorrrrrryyyy! I have been trying to write more of this for some time, but let's just say my laptop was, umm, confiscated. Anyway, the good news is…here's the next chapter! Hope you all enjoy! Next chapter has Griffin's POV. By the way, tell me if you think I should up the rating to M for coarse language and sexual innuendo.**

I glanced across at the woman. She maybe in her early to mid twenties with a shock of red ringlets and a pale complexion. She marched towards me, grabbing me by the shoulders and shaking me fervently.

"You out of your bloody mind?"

I just stood there, dumbfounded. I didn't have the slightest clue what she was on about. The redhead glanced around her suspiciously, before looking back at me. Her eyes were wide as she examined me.

"You can't just Jump in the middle of the bloody street! What if Paladins find you, kiddo?"

She thought I was a Jumper. Of course, I didn't discourage this theory – otherwise they'd think I was a Paladin myself. Shaking her head with a world-weary sigh, the redheaded woman tugged me towards the bar.

"You look a mess. Let's get you a drink, huh? What happened to you?"

I shrugged. No reason to lie. This woman seemed pretty nice.

"I was…kidnapped."

The woman gave me a serious look as she opened the door and ushered me into the bar. By the horrified expression in her eyes, I knew what was coming next. This wasn't going to be pretty.

"Paladins, right?"

When I didn't answer, she made up her mind for herself and began shaking her head in disgust. I felt the cheerful mood of the place as soon as I entered. Music reverberated around the place, and I could feel the bass in my chest like the beat of my heart. Some people danced, but most sat around the bar with drinks and friends, laughing.

Friends…I gulped. It had been a while since I had been with friends. I had been Griffin's prisoner, not mistreated but certainly not allowed to roam about as I pleased. I thought of the young Jumper with contempt – but that didn't matter now, because I was free of him. Despite the fact that I didn't know this redheaded woman, didn't know anyone, a smile still crossed my lips. I really had had the last laugh.

"I'm Alice Lothrop," the woman held out a hand for me to shake.

"Bec."

Alice nodded and cupped her hands around her mouth, yelling across the bar. "Oi, Lance! Come here, you!"

An African-American man with an unruly mane of wild curls and a mischievous grin on his face trotted obediently over. The man, Lance, sat down on the stool beside Alice and he tilted his head and smiled at me.

"Who's your friend?"

Alice rolled her eyes almost despairingly. "Rookie Jumper."

I wet my lips, keen to turn the topic from Alice's firm belief that I was a Jumper.

"Do you know Griffin O'Connor?"

Lance burst out laughing and Alice's expression was amused.

"We're the closest things to friends that kid has. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," I replied quickly.

I quietly accepted the alcoholic beverage Alice pushed across to me. I didn't object as I once might have. Much had changed. Now I was just glad to get that stuff into my system. I wanted to forget everything – my abduction, Griffin, the fact that I was a Shade…

I had the distinct impression that Lance and Alice were Jumpers, especially when Alice started murmuring to Lance in an undertone about her suspicions. I felt a twinge of guilt that she thought it had been Paladins that had taken me. What would she say if she discovered the truth? Would she know who my father was, as Griffin had?

Everyone was different and Jumpers were no exception. I had thought all Jumpers were as volatile and vengeful as Griffin, but Alice and Lance were completely different. They were like people – they came in all shapes and sizes. I was starting to realize that my perfect world of good and evil, black and white, was actually streaked with shades of grey.

I had to let go of what I thought I knew and accept the truth – the world wasn't what I'd thought it to be. There was a war going on, one that was invisible to the common eye. Now I was involved in it, in far too deep…and I didn't know how I was supposed to get out. One day, sooner or later, I needed to choose a side.

Alice must have seen my melancholy expression, because she handed me another glass with an almost sympathetic look on her face.

"They can do that to you." Her voice was grim, and I guessed she must have encountered Paladins several times. I noticed the scars on her shoulders. "Drink up, honey. You'll have one hell of a hangover tomorrow…but you'll be okay for tonight."

It hit me like a bullet, the reason Alice was being so nice to me. She thought I was a Jumper – and it looked like Jumpers stuck up for each other. I would bet there were far fewer Jumpers than Paladins. They were hunted like animals and they could only rely on each other. That was why, where Griffin had treated me with contempt – because he'd known what I was – Alice treated me like I was an old friend.

I knocked back the next drink while Lance watched with surprise. I hadn't even chosen a side yet, but Griffin had condemned me. He had believed that the fact that my father was a Paladin meant I was set on the same path. He didn't think I had any choice in the matter, and in slight tipsiness, I had to contemplate the same thing. Could I really choose my own fate?

The drinks kept coming. Soon, I noticed that there were four empty glasses on the counter in front of me. I'd never got really trashed before, but now I didn't even care. I wasn't the same girl Griffin had taken from Sydney. That girl had been naïve.

Then there was _his _face, clear-cut despite my drunkenness. That was the problem. Everything was too clear now…not like it had been before. His expression was dispassionate, but his eyes were glittering with anger as he marched towards me.

"Oh shit," I muttered as Griffin headed our way.

Alice looked over and an entertained look came over her face as she nudged Lance.

"Ah, so she knows him."

There was nothing else to be said as Griffin marched over, his hands balled into fists as he examined me. I wasn't aware of how much time had passed since I'd knocked him out. Great, he must have woken up…and I viciously hoped that he had a hangover.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded of me, eyeing the empty glasses on the counter with disdain. I thought this was a bit hypocritical – so he was allowed to drink, but I wasn't? Then I realized he'd broken the third rule, the one that said I wasn't to have alcohol while with him. But…I wasn't with him anymore. I had left.

"It's called an escape, dumbass," I muttered, my voice a bit slurred thanks to the alcohol, "Think even you should be able to recognize that."

Griffin grabbed me by the arm and pulled me to my feet. His teeth were bared and I could tell that he was livid…but I wasn't afraid of him anymore. He was a Jumper, but I was a Shade. It might not give me much, but heck…meant I didn't have to be a prisoner. He opened his mouth to berate me again, but Lance beat him to it.

"What's this, Griffin? Is she your girlfriend or something?"

Griffin gave me a lazy once-over and sneered.

"Where's your head, Lance? 'Course not."

Alice nudged Lance meaningfully, her eyes mischievous.

"Ah, so she's a one-night stand run off on you? You kiddies didn't play nice? Forget to use a rubber, Griffin?"

He exploded. "Shut the fuck up, Alice! You don't understand anything."

Most people would have been offended and chucked a sad, but not Alice. She just rolled her eyes and I guessed this was her main response to Griffin in general. She knew him and his bad attitude.

"Save it, O'Connor. Tell us what's going on, then."

Griffin was annoyed, but he clearly didn't want to reveal my identity. It would involve more questions, ones he couldn't answer.

"Doesn't matter. She's no one important." Ouch, that stung…not. Coming from Griffin, those words meant little to me. "She's coming back to the lair with me, though."

Alice raised her eyebrows at this.

"What?" I protested, "I thought you said you weren't Jumping me again."

I clapped a hand over my mouth, terrified for a moment that Alice and Lance had guessed the truth about my identity. They exchanged glances, and I thought I'd been caught out…but then they burst out into hysterical laughter, and my face reddened as I realized what they thought I was talking about. _Oh._

"Griffin," Lance looked like he was trying not to piss himself, "You must be _really _bad, mate…"

The younger Jumper looked like he was ready to burst…but he also looked furiously at me like this was my fault. Jeez, I hadn't been trying to imply that we were having sex. It wasn't my fault that people in their twenties behaved like they were about two.

"Come on, Bec. We're leaving."

Alice opened her mouth as if to say something, but Griffin marched me outside, shoving me roughly out the door and onto the street. I turned to glare at him.

"What is it with you and the whole bad boy façade? You know, I think you just like pushing me around…"

"What were you _thinking_?" spat Griffin, his eyes full of cold fire, "You just…recreate a Jump Scar and go through to wherever? Do you plan this out or make it up? When are you going to _get_ it? You leave when I tell you and not before."

I folded my arms across my chest. "Yeah, whatever you say, Jumper boy."

But strangely, I didn't struggle _quite _as much as he Jumped us back to the lair. I think it was because I was wondering now who the real enemy was: Jumpers or Paladins?


	6. Where the Freaks All Come Around

**#6 There's a Place Downtown Where the Freaks All Come Around**

**A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! Sorry I haven't updated in a while; things have been so hectic what with the Year 11 formal and everything…but enough rambling. Here's the next chapter. Also, a song recommendation for this chapter (but suits well with most of the story) "Take It Off" by Kesha. Give it a go! Next chapter is back to Bec's POV.**

**GRIFFIN'S POV**

That bloody girl was nothing but trouble. I was being forced to chase her here, there and everywhere…like I don't have better things to do. Stupid girl, she just doesn't understand the danger of being a Jumper. After leaving her at the lair, I decided it was time to sort stuff out with Lance and Alice. They'd got the complete wrong impression about Bec and me, so I had to tell them the truth…or at least, part of it.

Fuck. There they were, smirking and snickering as I marched towards them and grabbed Lance's beer, downing it and slamming it on the bench. Both were eyeing me as if they knew exactly what was going on…which of course, they didn't.

"That was quick, Griffin." Alice's tone was teasing. "Do it Jump-speed, did you?"

I gritted my teeth as she and Lance cracked up. They were the closest I had to friends, but sometimes they really pissed me off. They had no idea about Bec. That girl…she was vulnerable, but at the same time she was incredibly dangerous.

"You don't get it, do you?" I snarled, which made them both shut up immediately, "She's not what you think she is."

Both of them were looking astounded and I sighed irritably.

"Bloody hell. Best not to discuss it here. Look, I'm going to Jump and you follow me, yeah?"

I didn't wait for a reply. I never did. I just Jumped first and thought afterwards. There I was in Central Park, New York. A young man whirled around, which I thought was strange. Why was someone walking around here in the middle of the freaking night? He was around my age, pale with straw-coloured hair and freckles. I knew him for what he was right away.

_Jumper._

"Who the hell are you?" He turned even paler and took a few steps back. "Wait – you're not a Paladin, are you?"

"Well done, sunshine," I snapped, glancing around for Lance and Alice. They hadn't arrived yet. The rookie seemed intent on pestering me. They're all like that. Pain in the ass.

"You got away from them too, then?"

I didn't have a clue what the fuck he was talking about. Like I'm supposed to understand his blabbering!

"I have no idea what you're on about."

"The Paladins. They were hanging around the clubs, watching us. I only just managed to get away myself…"

I felt the blood draining from my face. The clubs. He was talking about where Lance and Alice were. The Paladins were there. Holy shit…they must have seen Bec. That bloody girl! I gnashed my teeth and whipped around to face the rookie.

"Can you fight them?"

I knew the answer by looking at him even as he tried to stammer some pathetic response. Look at him, stick-thin and with an almost spoilt look about him. No way was he a fighter. He wasn't like me or Lance or Alice.

Someone came through behind me. I spun around, expecting a Paladin…but it was only Alice. Her eyes were wide and by the panicked look on her face, the Paladins had already found them. I started towards her.

"Where's Lance?"

Shit. Please don't let them have killed him.

"He ran. He got away." Alice was panting, sounding somewhat desperate. "Griffin, please, tell me what's going on."

The other Jumper jerked his chin at Alice. "Who's she?"

Alice planted her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Who are _you_?"

He flushed and opened his mouth to reply – and then a group of Paladins marched through Alice's Jump Scar. The rookie paled as soon as he saw them and immediately Jumped. Alice and I had more sense. We stayed put…for now. What was that idiot thinking? Every sane Jumper knows you don't Jump with Paladins tailing you.

"Griffin," Alice murmured, edging closer to me, "Please don't tell me this is what I think it is."

I didn't know what Alice thought this was. I only knew what Bec was and how important she was. Trust me to kidnap possibly the most important girl in the world – at least, in the Jumper-Paladin war.

"Bec's not a Jumper." Alice's head whipped so that she was facing me. "Her father is Aaron Carlyle."

A sharp gasp emitted from her mouth as I watched the Paladins enter the light. The leader was a blond young man with a hard smile across his face and a cold gleam in his eyes – holy shit, it was that guy Bec had been talking to in the shops. Jules. He was younger than me, but he looked like he knew what he was doing. What the fuck had she _done_?

"What have you done?" whispered Alice, taking a few steps back.

"Isn't this nice?" Oh, shit. I hated those talkative Paladins that liked to have a nice freaking chat before they took you down. It looked like they didn't care about the Jumper that had legged it. Jules knew who I was. He knew what I'd done. He was after me.

Jules tilted his head to the side and pulled out one of those electric zapper things that shocked you. I eyed him with a scowl on my face. I wasn't scared of any Paladin. Not even Roland, certainly not this upstart punk.

"Where is she, Jumper? Tell us and we'll let you both live…for now."

Alice poked me hard in the shoulder. "Griffin, just tell them."

I knew Paladins. Where was Alice's head at? She must have had too much to drink. Paladins never kept their word. They killed everyone important to you, before hunting you down like a dog. Why did Alice think they would really let us go for Bec?

I sneered at Jules. "Keep dreaming."

He simply shrugged. He had seemed like a prick before, and now he was really starting to piss me off. Yeah, I was the kind of guy who _looked _for fights…and it was Paladins like Jules that I wanted to fight with.

There were only three Paladins in all. It might have been better if that freaking coward rookie hadn't bailed, but we'd have to make do. Besides, it wasn't like Alice and I hadn't fought Paladins before.

I ran at Jules just as he lit up the electric shocker thing and kicked my feet out from underneath me. I slammed heavily to the ground – shit, I should have been prepared for that. I watched with my vision swimming as the other two Paladins, around the same age as Jules, took on Alice. She was good…she spun and kicked and Jumped and dodged at exactly the right time intervals.

"I don't believe you!" Alice yelled out as she elbowed one of the Paladins in the gut and kicked the other in the shin. "You've got us up against Paladins for this _girl_? Shit, she must be a good screw, Griffin."

I think she was joking because after all, she'd found out that Bec was a Paladin's daughter. But even though I knew she was joking, Jules didn't. His eyes widened and flashed. He gritted his teeth as I staggered to my feet and he aimed a punch at my face. I Jumped and kicked the back of his leg – as he swung the electric shocker so it slammed into my stomach. I grunted and stumbled back.

"_What_?" hissed Jules, looking absolutely livid as he glowered at me with a murderous expression on his face. "You slept with Bec?"

Fuck, no. Now Alice had got the Paladins thinking that, too. If this got to Aaron Carlyle, I'd have a price on my head so big I wouldn't be able to go near a civilized area. But I loved making Paladins angry, and Jules was already furious. What harm would it do? I didn't want to answer my own question, though.

"Why, you jealous?"

Yeah, Jules was mad, alright. I wasn't sure if it was to do with the fact that he might have the hots for Bec, or that she might have jumped a Jumper. He lunged out again, getting me in the head with the freaking electric thing. It fucking hurt and it felt as though my head was split in two as I crumpled to the ground. Jules stood over me with a somewhat vicious smile on his face.

A piercing scream ripped through Central Park, and despite the pain in my head, I lifted myself up, bruised and battered. A few metres away, Alice was struggling violently in the grip of one of the Paladins. The other was slowly moving forward with a huge knife in his hand.

"Last chance, Jumper." Jules turned his attention back on me. "Tell me where Bec is, or she dies."

I had to choose, but I didn't know. What did I want? What the _fuck_ did I want? For the first time ever, I hesitated in the face of the Paladins. Bec was a pain in the ass, just like rookie Jumpers, but I needed her…for my salvation. Could I let Alice die for that?

Alice strained against her captor, eyes wild.

"Run, Griffin! Run!"

I had never risked my life for another Jumper, and I didn't think I was about to start again. I was torn – but then, hating myself but hardening my heart, I crawled to my feet and started to run. My head was throbbing. Another piercing scream tore through Central Park, and I turned to see that the Paladin with the knife was pulling back, the blade stained with blood…shit. Alice slumped in the other Paladin's grasp.

"Get him!" roared Jules.

I didn't look back to see if they were following me. I knew where I needed to go to be safe. I just needed to get far enough away. My breath was ragged and it felt like I might have fractured something…but the physical pain was nothing compared with the knowledge that Alice's death had been my fault. I'd been given a chance to spare her, but I'd given it up. I'd chosen my own life over hers and it disgusted me that I had to do this.

Something warm and wet was trickling down my head as I Jumped back to the lair, and when I arrived I swiped it away, knowing it was blood. Bec was standing there, her eyes wide as she looked at me. My blood boiled at the sight of her. This was all her fault. If only I'd never taken her. I couldn't decide for sure – who was to blame, me or her?

"What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I snapped at her, ignoring her gaze.

It was Bec. Of course I shouldn't have expected her to shut up and leave it alone.

"You're bleeding."

"No shit." My tone was harsh, but I couldn't help it. I had to take my anger out on someone, and Bec was right there.

"Alice and Lance…"

A wave of fury came over me. Something made me so angry at her and I marched towards her. Fear flashed in her eyes for just a moment before I slapped her across the face. She didn't even make a noise. She just took it. Afterwards she didn't even glare at me accusingly like most people might have. She just averted her eyes and I felt another squirm of guilt. I wanted her to fight back like she normally did. I was tempted to hit her again to provoke her into fighting me.

"Alice is dead."


	7. The Truth Comes Out

**#7 The Truth Comes Out**

_**A/N: Back to Bec's POV**_

Griffin was pacing like a caged animal. My cheek still stung from where he'd hit me, but I knew why he was so infuriated. It wasn't me; it was the death of another Jumper. I realized now that most of the Jumpers I'd met were young. Clearly, most of them were killed early. From what I could gather, a Jumper would be lucky to get to twenty. Twenty-five was an achievement, and hardly any of them would make it to thirty.

I was beginning to see the truth about Paladins, and I didn't like it. I had assumed the Jumpers were the evil ones, but now I was seeing things from Griffin's point of view. His friend had just been killed and so he would take his anger out on me. I watched him pace, my hands clenched into fists.

"I'm sorry I hit you." Griffin spat the words out like they were poisonous, and I guessed he was kind of person who never apologized. He turned to face me, his blue eyes full of anger and hatred. Is this what I was condemned to? Choosing between what was right and what I knew? I loved my dad, and I couldn't imagine him as a ruthless killer…but the blood that stained his head was proof enough of what the Paladins were capable of.

"I'm sorry about Alice." I deliberately made my voice soft. I didn't want to aggravate Griffin, especially since he was so hyped up already. I didn't understand why he didn't just Jump out, get some allies and take on the Paladins. He looked like he wanted to tear them apart. "Look, can't you get help? Other Jumpers…"

Griffin laughed sourly. "Jumpers are solitary, sweetheart. Alice and Lance were an exception. Most of us hang out by ourselves. There's no way other Jumpers are going to team up with me to fight Paladins. This one Jumper, David…he tried to get me to fight with him and I practically told him to piss off. It's just not what we do."

"Then maybe you need to change." The steely edge was back in my voice, and I knew I was on dangerous ground. "If you fight by yourselves, you'll die by yourselves. I don't understand this war, but I understand that Paladins are brutal and Jumpers are cowards. You run and you hide, but you don't fight."

Griffin bared his teeth and I knew I was getting on his nerve. I braced myself, knowing that he might hit me again. The tension was thick as mud as he marched across the room and grabbed me by the shoulders, shaking me roughly.

"I _am _fighting."

Then I could only think of one last alternative. "Then maybe you all need to stop."

Griffin snickered as he released me. For about the millionth time since I'd met him, he had succeeded in making me feel like an idiot. I felt my cheeks burn and I knew I must be turning bright red.

"If only it was that easy. It doesn't stop, Bec. It will _never_ stop."

"Why?" I demanded, folding my arms and glowering at him. Who was Griffin to say whether the war between the Paladins could end?

Griffin's eyes were burning and I knew that I'd done something wrong. His entire face was full of passionate anger.

"Because _they killed my family_!"

Griffin's breathing was heavy and ragged down, as if he'd just run a marathon. I took a step back, realizing that I had stumbled upon territory I was unfamiliar with. So this was why Griffin was so full of anger and hate and vengeance…because the Paladins hadn't only maligned him, but his family as well.

I shook my head and tried to take it back.

"I'm sorry, Griffin, I didn't know…"

I just kept making these stupid mistakes. Why did I insist on talking about a world I knew nothing about? I just wanted to go back to Dad and forget everything, become the completely normal eighteen-year-old girl I had been before. But I couldn't have that, for the same reason Griffin couldn't have his family back. It was far too late, and we were different people now. These events had changed us.

"It was sixteen years ago anyway," Griffin's tone was bitter, "I was five years old and I'd only just Jumped for the first time. The Paladins killed my parents in front of me. I didn't understand why at the time…but my older sister took care of me until I was a teenager…and then they came for her, too. Don't you see, Bec? They kill anyone and everyone you associate with. They don't care about me, so why should I care about them?"

So that's what it was. It was all about killing and revenge…I hadn't been a part of this secret war long, but I already despised it. I resented the fact that I was supposed to choose a side, that my ability meant I would never be left alone. It would mean that I would be hunted – but by Paladins or Jumpers?

"Griffin, I don't know what you want me to do."

"You can hide me from them." His tone was almost desperate. "I can kill them, and they'll never find me."

There was another tense silence as Griffin looked down at his hands. His jaw was clenched and the expression on his face was one I couldn't quite place. I think he was struggling to remain in control of his emotions, of the passionate fire that blazed into an inferno whenever the Paladins were brought up.

"Do you know why it was you I took?" His voice was low. "Yeah, I made it seem like an accident…but it wasn't. I just wanted to cause pain, to make the Paladins feel what I'd felt…and so I took you. Do you know why, Bec?"

I could begin to guess, but it was too horrible to say aloud. My mouth dropped open into a gape of abject shock. Sometimes the truth was better left buried. I wished I'd never said anything, never questioned Griffin's motives.

Griffin's eyes flicked upwards and bored into mine.

"It was your father, Bec."

No, he couldn't possibly be the one…

"Aaron Carlyle was the one who killed my parents…"

No.

"Killed my sister…"

NO!

"Your father is a murderer."

"No!" This time it was a verbal cry as I lunged at Griffin. I wasn't mad at him, I didn't blame him…it was the same reason he'd hit him. There was so much anger inside me and I had to direct it somewhere. I didn't want to acknowledge the truth.

Griffin caught me by the wrists, preventing me from harming him. His expression was somewhere between impassiveness and pity.

"Accept it. You've been living a life of lies. I'm only letting you know the truth."

I struggled in his grasp, feeling weak as the tears welled in my eyes. Could I go home now, knowing what I knew? Could I ever love my dad the same way I had before?

"Let me go! I hate you! I hate you!"

I sounded like a child, but I no longer cared. I just wanted this to be a nightmare so I could wake up. Griffin frowned and released me and I stumbled backwards, pressing my face into my hands. I really wished he hadn't told me all of this. Who was the man I knew? He wasn't the same Aaron Carlyle who had killed Griffin's family.

Lance Jumped into the lair, a panicked look on his face as he immediately turned his attention on Griffin, who looked infuriated.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he fumed, starting towards Lance, "You could have brought the Paladins right to me…"

I smiled. That wasn't exactly true. Griffin appeared to have forgotten that I was a Shade. Lance and Griffin were both under my protection right now…as amusing as that idea may seem. Lance started towards Griffin, his eyes wide with horror.

"Alice isn't with you?"

Griffin averted his eyes. "They killed her."

Lance gripped his hair in his hands and muttered under his breath in a language I didn't understand. I guessed that he was swearing, and the look on his face turned from panicked to devastated.

"They're going to come after me next, Griffin. I hope you're happy."

Griffin shook his head. "Don't count on it, mate. I'm number one on the Most Wanted, remember? Not to mention the fact that I have a little leverage."

He jerked his head towards me and Lance's eyes narrowed as he glanced from me back to Griffin. Obviously, he knew that the Paladins hadn't just suddenly happened upon us. He knew I was linked to this and he turned back to Griffin with growing anger.

"O'Connor, _who is she_?"

Griffin, for once, looked like he didn't know what to say. He could lie about me…or he could tell the truth. Why is the truth always harder? I have to wonder about that. It's always a conflict between the right way and the easy way.

Lance's eyes were hard, a stark contrast to the easygoing young man I'd discovered him to be. Alice's death had made him like this. The truth hurts everyone, especially the liars. I wondered what Dad would say if he knew that I'd discovered what he was.

"She's Aaron Carlyle's daughter."

Lance's eyes widened and his eyebrows shot upwards.

"Are you freaking insane?" he demanded of Griffin. Although he was a more intimidating presence – he was around six feet tall – he was gentler by nature, so I couldn't imagine him doing anything like slamming Griffin into a wall. "Do you _want _to die, Griffin? You took a Paladin's kid…bloody hell. How long can you last before they find you?"

The smirk on Griffin's lips told me he was about to reveal my secret. Great, now even information that was mine didn't belong to me. I was beginning to feel as though I was a valuable object rather than an actual person.

"She's also a Shade."

By the way Lance's jaw dropped, he knew exactly what a Shade was. He glanced at me and then back at Griffin. Despite the grim events that had taken place, Lance seemed unable to stop himself from chuckling.

"Mate, you really know how to pick them, don't you?"

Something like hurt flashed through Griffin's eyes, but he quickly concealed it. He seemed to be all business as he paced back and forth. Lance and I both watched him, wondering what he was up to. He looked like he had a plan.

"She can protect us, Lance. She can hide us from the Paladins."

Okay, I'd had enough of being talked about like I wasn't there. I strode forward, my hands on my hips as I glowered at Griffin.

"Excuse me? Don't you think I have a say in all of this? What if I choose not to protect you, and rejoin the Paladins?"

Griffin's eyes glittered, and I should have known what his answer would be. When I had first met him, I had believed him to be a monster. Now I thought I still wasn't that far off. It was all a matter of perception. If I turned my back on Griffin, he would once again become the sinister young man who had abducted me.

Lance glanced concernedly from me to Griffin. I think he knew what Griffin was going to say because there was a troubled look in his dark eyes.

"If you're not with us, then you're against us. If you join the Paladins, Bec…then I'll have to kill you just like I would them."


	8. Love the Fall

**#8 Love the Fall**

**A/N: Hey, I know it's been a while…and it might be another few weeks before I get another chapter up due to hectic study and upcoming exams. But as soon as the holidays – which is in around a month for me – I promise I'll do my best to have something new up.**

It became obvious then – I was no longer a prisoner. I wasn't the frightened teenage girl Griffin had kidnapped…I was something new. A weapon to be used against the Paladins. I had seen what they could do and I had chosen my side.

I had chosen the Jumpers.

I folded my arms and glared at Griffin and Lance. If they thought they were getting my help for free, they were so wrong. I was sick of being an object – a hostage, a threat, a weapon – and now I wanted something in return.

"What's in it for me?"

Lance looked startled at the question, but Griffin's eyes narrowed as he stalked towards me. He stood right in front of me, probably attempting to intimidate me…but it wasn't working anymore.

"How about we let you live?" His tone was low and ominous, but I knew better than to give in to his threats.

"Griffin, be fair," Lance sighed from across the room, "Let her name her price at least."

I smirked as Griffin backed off. Of course, I didn't want this. I never wanted to be involved in a war, especially when my father was one of the opposition's most powerful players. It was like a game of chess – wrong move, checkmate.

The question now was – what _did _I want? I could never return to living life as a normal teenager, not when I knew what I did. I had been catapulted into this mess completely by accident and now it looked like I was stuck in this shit.

When the Paladins came for me, what then? What would happen when Dad and Jules figured out that I was batting for the other team? It was painful to imagine the man who'd taught me everything, who'd loved me unconditionally because I was his child, was in fact a ruthless murderer. Would he be able to kill me if I stood in the way? I didn't want to contemplate the answer.

Then it hit me.

"First thing's first, I am _not _killing Paladins. It's one thing to fight them, but they haven't done me any harm."

Griffin's smile was nasty. "Yet."

I ignored him. "I want to know how to defend myself against the Paladins."

Lance nodded approvingly, but Griffin's eyes narrowed immediately. Apparently, teaching me how to fight was not on his to-do list. Well, he'd already disobeyed all of his stupid rules. I wasn't a prisoner, he'd Jumped me and I'd had alcohol while under his 'supervision'.

"There is no fucking way," snarled Griffin, "I am teaching you to fight them."

I was struck by his anger as if it was a physical blow.

"Why not?"

Lance started to look uncomfortable and I felt irritated that everyone except me knew the answer. Griffin whipped around, his hands clenched into fists and his eyes blazing. Wow, Bec, you've really done it now.

"_Because you're not one of us_!"

Wait a minute. How did that work? I gritted my teeth. I was one of them when Griffin wanted me to hide them from the Paladins, but not when I wanted to know how to fight. It was only ever on Griffin's conditions, and I was fed up with it.

"You're so bloody _selfish_!" I yelled at him, and he had the good grace to look surprised, "If it involves effort on your part, you won't have anything to do with it. The world doesn't revolve around you, Griffin. Just because you can Jump anywhere you like doesn't mean you're suddenly a king."

"Mate," Lance called across the room to Griffin, "Maybe you should listen to her. This kind of thing works two ways."

Griffin shook his head slowly and for a moment I thought – with white-hot rage burning inside me – that he still stubbornly refused to comply with what I asked. Then he rolled his eyes and jerked a thumb behind him.

"There are two long sticks back there," he said through gritted teeth, "Now move your ass and meet me outside in five minutes."

"What's with the sticks?" I asked as I headed out into the sweltering heat of the desert. I wiped the sweat from my brow – jeez, and we hadn't even _started _training yet. There was something hard to place in Griffin's eyes and he held out his hand impatiently. I shoved one of the sticks at him and slicked back my hair…just as there was a painful THWACK in the back of my legs. My legs gave way and I fell to my knees, glowering up at Griffin.

"What was that all about?"

Griffin was taking this very seriously. There was no smirk on his face as he twirled the stick in his hands and glared down at me.

"You think the Paladins are going to wait until you're ready? No. Neither am I. Get up, Bec."

I struggled to my feet and I was barely standing before Griffin had taken another swipe at me. I threw my own stick up in defensive, not too keen to get whacked again. The loud SMACK of wood clashing made me wince involuntarily. I wasn't a fighter like Griffin. I had just been an ordinary teenager…

Except I'd changed.

Griffin feinted for my head and then hit me in the stomach. Winded, I was knocked backwards and landed heavily on my backside. This time, Griffin was smirking. He seemed to be amused about how little I knew about combat. A thrill of annoyance shot through me and my eyes narrowed as I scrambled back onto my feet.

I bounced on the balls of my heels, waiting for Griffin to attack…and when his stick came flying towards me, I was ready. I could never hold out for more than a few blows, after which I normally hit the ground hard. Griffin was not a patient teacher and as the hours wore by, I ignored my hunger and thirst and focused on what really mattered: staying alive.

**Lance's POV**

Once Bec and Griffin were training, I Jumped – for vengeance. Alice and I would have been married in six months, but the Paladins had taken that away from me. First my family and now my fiancé. I found myself in a very Griffin-like mood – reckless, and not caring whether I lived or died so long as I took as many Paladins as I could with me.

Paladins have an uncanny ability of finding Jumpers. All I had to do was Jump around as much as I could and they'd find me. Then I Jumped to Las Vegas and I found a Jump Scar. I wasn't the only Jumper around these parts. Gnawing my lip in consideration, I moved through the Jump Scar…and into utter chaos.

I was suddenly in the middle of Central Park, looking over at a group of seven Paladins who stood surrounding a tree. A pale, freckled kid around Griffin's age was tied to the tree, bound by live wires and screaming for all he was worth. His straw-coloured hair was lank with sweat and his eyes were wide with panic.

"You stupid boy." I recognized the curt voice as that of Aaron Carlyle. "You Jumped back here, where we just killed another of your kind? _Amateur._"

They didn't know I was here yet and I intended to use that to my advantage. I reached for the knives I kept in my pockets. The Paladins wouldn't know what hit them until it was too late. For a Jumper, I was pretty good at stealth. So, while the Paladins were distracted by the rookie they'd captured, I advanced.

"I know where others are," the young man's voice was desperate and pain-riddled, "Please. I can tell you."

There are two kinds of Jumpers, and the distinction only becomes evident when a Jumper is captured. The first kind will fight back with all their might, bringing as many Paladins as they can down with them. They would rather die than go quietly…and they always do. The second kind are the cowards, the ones who spend the last few moments of their pathetic lives undoing themselves, turning on their own kind. This kid was the second kind. I bared my teeth – he didn't deserve to be saved.

One of the Paladins – a blond boy, probably around Bec's age – chuckled.

"Way to go, Jumper. I always knew you were dirt, but now…"

The young Paladin spat at the Jumper's feet, earning a reproving glare from Aaron.

"Jules. Enough."

I reached the first Paladin, clamping my hand around his mouth and slitting his throat. The whole thing was done in utmost silence, but then Aaron whipped around and his gaze landed on me. He must have known what I was, because his eyes narrowed.

He jerked his head towards the kid trapped in the tree.

"Kill him."

Jules moved forward and savagely knifed the poor, pathetic Jumper through the heart. He gave a strangled cry of pain, before his head flopped forward and his blood spattered to the ground. Then the Paladins headed for me, and I Jumped a few metres back.

Let me tell you something. If you're up against three Paladins alone and you survive, you're a pretty damn skilled fighter. If you're up against five, you're a bloody legend. If you're up against seven…you really don't stand a chance.

"Your daughter is a lot nicer than you are," I told Aaron, my hands clenching around the hilts of my knives, "Well, come on. Come get me."

The Paladins surged towards me. The first one had a glint of bloodlust in his eyes, so he was the first one I stabbed in the heart. Almost too easy. He fell with a groan and the remaining five converged on me.

I was desperate, slashing in any direction I could. Any moment now the sheer number of Paladins would overwhelm me. Dammit, if only Alice or Griffin were here with me I might stand a chance. The blond boy – Jules – grinned manically as he punched me in the face. I reckon my nose must have broken, because suddenly blood spattered all over my shirt.

One Paladin grabbed me from behind, attempting to restrain me…bad idea. I kicked backwards so he went flying and landed on the ground with a grunt. Aaron Carlyle moved forward with an electric whip and a strange gleam in his eyes.

It crackled and whistled through the air, slicing into my right arm. I yelled in pain and sidestepped, but Aaron only kept attacking me with the infernal thing again and again. I could feel the warm, wet blood on my skin and the stinging agony every time the whip came down – and I couldn't take it anymore. So I leapt forward and stabbed Aaron straight in the heart.

His eyes widened with horror as he looked at the blood blooming from the wound. The other Paladins backed away a little, as if the murder of a high authority gave them right to fear me. It was almost as good as killing Roland. Aaron twitched and then keeled over, crashing to the ground with my knife still through his heart. My heart lurched with guilt – not for him, never for him. What would Bec do when she discovered I'd murdered her father?

Then the Paladins swarmed like angry bees, grabbing me roughly and slamming me to the ground. One of them pulled out a gun and pressed it my forehead, grinning as his finger inched towards the trigger.

"Stop."

The Paladins looked up. I looked up. Jules was walking towards us with the knife he'd used to stab the other Jumper, still stained with the kid's blood. Despite his youth, there was no doubt that he was in charge of things now. He tilted his head to the side and looked down at me.

"I've seen you around with Griffin O'Connor before." A slight smile tweaked at the corners of his lips. "You know where Bec is, don't you?"

I didn't answer, but that didn't make Jules angry. In fact, he gave me a cold smile as if this had been exactly what he'd expected.

"Oh, well. There will be plenty of time for questions later."

The other Paladins looked confused and Jules noticed this and shrugged.

"The Jumper lives…for now."


	9. No Turning Back

**#9 No Turning Back**

**A/N: Back to Bec's POV.**

Something was buzzing in my pocket. I sighed and fiddled with the zipper. After hours of intense training with Griffin, I really just wanted something to get my mind off the aches that seemed to reach my very bones. I pulled out my phone and tilted my head to the side, surprised that I was actually getting reception here. Frowning, I flipped it open and pressed it to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Bec." It was Jules. He sounded sort of desperate, but there was a hardness in his voice that I didn't recognize. "Where are you? We can't find you…and something terrible has happened. Bec, we linked your phone up to a super-fast network so we can contact you. We need to pull some strings, but…where has he taken you? I'll slit the bastard's throat."

I heard the venom in his voice and I realized that the time had come to make my decision. Would I really stay with Griffin and protect him from Paladins, or did I want to go back to my own life and hope I could live normally? Like that could ever happen. I closed my eyes and pressed the phone closer to my ear.

"Bec." Jules's voice had gone completely flat. "Your dad is dead."

I almost dropped the phone. My eyes flicked open immediately and I couldn't quite restrain a gasp of horror. Of course, he had lived a long life for a Paladin…but I never expected he could have been killed so quickly. I knew it must have been a Jumper. No one else would have killed a major Paladin…and despite my allegiance, I felt vengeance in my heart towards the one who had done this. Didn't the Jumpers and Paladins know what this war was costing? Lives and families and heartbreak.

"But who…?"

"A Jumper named Lance Dyson." Jules sounded grim. "We can't find you anywhere. Do you know where you are or where _he _Jumped last?"

I knew the 'he' Jules was referring to was Griffin. I realized I had to confess the truth – well, maybe not about my allegiances, not just yet…but about what I was. The Paladins didn't know why they couldn't find me and Jules was clearly blaming himself. I wouldn't have him beating himself up over something that wasn't his fault.

"I'm a Shade, Jules. You can't find because my ability conceals them. As long as Griffin's around me, he can't be found…and neither can I."

Jules swore, sounding extremely annoyed. I began to wonder whether this was really about him saving me, or because he'd developed a grudge against Griffin. Normally I would have been irritated…but the news of Dad's death ensured that I felt nothing. I was numb inside, and I didn't think I'd ever feel emotion again. I should have been bawling my eyes. Instead I just stood there feeling frozen.

There was a tense silence and when Jules spoke, his tone sent chills down my spine.

"Is he there now?"

I heard something smash, followed by an angry, "Shit!"

I gnawed at my lip. "Yes."

I was worried that Jules might want to talk to Griffin…although that would solve nothing. But what Jules said next was even than anything I could have imagined.

"Open his last Jump Scar, Bec. We can come through and get you then. Hadn't you thought of that before? You do know a Shade's full capabilities, don't you?"

_Fuck. _I had no doubts that once the Paladins had saved me, Jules would kill Griffin. I had chosen my side and now I had to stick to my decision. Taking a deep breath, I summoned on all of my courage. Dad would have been brave when he died. It was up to me to be brave now, to show courage even when I wanted to run and hide.

"That's the thing, Jules. The situation's changed."

Jules's voice was sharp. "What do you mean?"

Then all the procrastination was too much for me and I felt like I just wanted to scream at my own slowness. So I just told the truth.

"I'm not a prisoner anymore. I'm here with Griffin of my own free will."

"What?" Jules sounded shocked. "Bec, what are you talking about?"

My heart pattered with fear, but my voice sounded strong.

"I'm one of them, Jules. I'm helping Griffin hide from you. I've seen what you can all do, and I've chosen my side. You kill the families of innocent people just because they have an ability you despise…and that's not a life I want."

Jules laughed, but it was dark and mirthless and I felt my stomach plummet. I'd heard that laugh so many times before. It was when Jules was beyond mad, when he was just about to do something really crazy.

"You can't imagine what we had planned for you, Bec. You are your father's daughters. You could have the Paladins at your fingertips. I could have made a life for you…for us."

Was he really suggesting what I thought he was?

"We could have done this together, Bec. I would have made you mine…but I guess you didn't want that, huh."

Now I was confused. Did this mean Jules and I had been betrothed the whole time? I didn't like to think ill of my dad, especially after only just learning that he was dead…but seriously, Jules? I couldn't think of anyone I'd hate to be with more.

"You're right." My voice was like saccharine. "I never would have wanted you, Jules. You never know, maybe I can function _without _a man in my life."

Jules snarled; "Or maybe it's Griffin O'Connor that you want."

I could feel my cheeks flushing and I struggled to discover the answer – was Jules right or wrong? Even I didn't know and this confused me even more. Surely I couldn't be falling for Griffin, the young man who'd kidnapped me and treated me like shit most of the time I'd been here?

"Now you're just being ridiculous…"

"You're dead, Bec." Jules's voice was eerily calm and it made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. "I won't kill you out of spite, but…know this: if you get in the way when we try and kill Griffin, I won't hesitate to put a knife through your heart."

"That's nice of you," I muttered. I didn't think I wanted to find out if Jules really was capable of killing me or not. The answer may not be one I liked.

Then I flipped my phone closed, cutting off the call. I bit my lip so hard I could taste blood as I pressed the phone to my forehead, thinking hard. I didn't want to tell Griffin about what had happened. Maybe it was my burden to keep all of this crap bottled up inside of me. Then I realized what was happening all around me – Jules was against me, Dad was dead…

Then I realized I could cry fairly well after all.

**PARAGRAPH**

I knew the second Lance Jumped back that something was wrong. I leapt to my feet and I could feel the rage burning within me as I threw my fist forward and punched Lance in the face. He staggered backwards and his eyes were full of surprise. Maybe I hit harder than I'd expected – but I no longer cared. No matter how hard I punched Lance, no matter how many times, he would eventually recover. There was no bringing my dad back.

After about the third punch, a pair of hands gripped me firmly by the arms and dragged me backwards. I fought against it, knowing it was Griffin. I squirmed violently like a wild animal, lunging at Lance.

"What the fuck is going on?" demanded Griffin.

I burst into tears and Griffin, clearly surprised, released me immediately. I saw the astonished look on his face and wondered about whether he'd ever seen me cry before. I didn't tend to do it much. My silent tears escalated into frustrated sobs. Griffin was watching me with an expression of horror.

Lance wiped the blood from his nose and stared at me, a guilty look on his face. Clearly, murdering my father had not been intention and he looked like he regretted what he'd done.

"I killed her father."

I just stood there, sobbing, feeling helpless. Griffin was torn between feelings – he had hated my dad and he wasn't going to fake sympathy for the man's death. I think it was the fact that I was so devastated that made him so conflicted. Then, to my utter surprise, he stepped forward and embraced me, awkwardly patting me on the back.

"Bec."

It was like he didn't know what to say. Then he glanced across at Lance as I was wiping my eyes.

"I know why you did it. Lance…what the bloody hell happened?"

Lance's expression was grim. "I went after them – I wanted vengeance, Griffin! You of all people can understand that! I wasn't aiming in particular for him…they killed a Jumper, about your age. I attacked them and killed a few…and one of them just happened to be Aaron."

Griffin's eyes narrowed. "How many?"

Lance shrugged, not meeting Griffin's sharp gaze. "Seven."

"_Seven_!" Griffin sounded shocked and I couldn't blame him. Lance against seven Paladins? How was he even alive? "How the fuck did you get out alive?"

Lance shrugged again, looking down at his feet.

"I fought back."

Somehow, I was under the impression that he wasn't being entirely honest with us. Don't get me wrong, I'd always picked Lance out to be a nice guy…but he was lying to us, and that on top of the fact that he'd just killed my dad meant I didn't really trust him at that moment.

"We need to fight them, Griffin." Lance sounded almost pleading. "We can kill more of them…together. For Alice."

Griffin had let go of me and stepped forward. It felt strange, him having just hugged me. Of course he'd let me go pretty quick, as if he was ashamed of showing emotion. He was torn between his desire for revenge, and his sensibility. I had a pretty good idea I knew which would prevail and I sighed heavily.

"Bec, open the Jump Scar."

I rolled my eyes. "Bec, do this. Bec, do that. When am I ever going to get some bloody manners from you?"

Griffin looked pained. "Okay, Bec, _please_ open the Jump Scar." It looked like he'd nearly choked on the word 'please', but to his credit, he'd still used it.

I stood there and folded my arms across my chest, glaring at Griffin.

"If you're going, I'm coming with you."

Griffin's eyes narrowed. "Are you out of your mind? No."

"Then I won't do it. I can fight, Griffin. You've trained me."

Griffin shook his head fervently and there was something a bit like panic in his eyes now. Not for him – for me. I was confused. Since when had Griffin actually cared what happened to me? This was new.

"Not for something like this. Three days, Bec. That's not enough. You'd never make it."

I jabbed an accusing finger at Lance. "_He _killed my father! Jules is against me now because I'm siding with you. Don't you think the least you could do is let me have a go?"

Griffin gave me a death glare before he nodded curtly. Clearly, he wasn't happy about the situation. I focused on the Jump Scar, really looked for it…then I saw it and forced it open. It wasn't an easy task and my head hurt when we stepped through – right into Paladin headquarters.

Lance still stood at the other side of the Jump Scar, in Griffin's lair. I turned to look at him incredulously, my eyes as wide as saucers as the Paladins closed in around me, edging towards the Jump Scar.

"What have you done?"

"They knew where my sister was!" exclaimed Lance, sounding distressed, "My Jumper sister! They promised they'd let her go for now if I led Griffin to them."

"How could you?" I whispered, and Lance winced as if I'd slapped him.

Griffin's teeth were bared in savage rage as he shoved Lance roughly away from him, marching towards the Jump Scar. I remembered what Jules had told me – he would only kill me if I interfered in them dealing with Griffin. I was fully aware of the consequences as I whipped around and closed my eyes, knowing I would die for what I did.

I forced myself not to cry as I closed the Jump Scar before Griffin could move through.


	10. The Game Has Changed

**#10 The Game Has Changed**

I immediately focused my attention on the Paladins surrounding them. Most were faces I didn't recognize, but some were friends of Dad's that I'd seen on one or two occasions. Not that it mattered – recognition wouldn't stop them from killing me. I lifted my chin high and faked it, smirking around at them as though I was so unafraid. The fast tempo of my heart contradicted my smug expression.

Then the group of Paladins parted and I saw _him _marching towards me. Jules must have been really important and really high up in the Paladin social hierarchy. I smiled and tried to pretend like nothing was wrong.

"Hey, Jules. How's it going?"

Jules's eyes glittered as he stopped right in front of me. I mean, hello, personal space? I noticed that he was heavily armed. If I even tried to use the tactics Griffin had taught me, I'd be pulverized. He didn't look very happy right now.

"Open the Jump Scar, Bec."

I gave him my sweetest smile. "Not a chance in hell."

Jules shrugged as if that didn't matter. "You'll change your mind soon enough."

He grabbed me none too gently, marching determinedly down a maze of corridors with my arm in a bruising grip. It didn't take a genius to figure out that this made me annoyed. I was here, alone, with a group of Paladins I didn't know. They didn't care who I was. To them, I was associated with Jumpers – and therefore, I would die.

"I'm Aaron Carlyle's daughter," I snapped at Jules, playing the last card I had, "You'll never get away with this."

Jules laughed harshly. "Your dad's dead, sweetheart. Those Jumpers killed him. Now do you know whose side you're really on?"

I gritted my teeth and struggled in his grasp. Jules opened a door and practically shoved me into a room. It was small and white and smelled like a hospital. A shiver ran down my spine and I already knew that I hated the place.

"Why don't you sit down, Bec? There's a lot we need to talk about."

I frowned and folded my arms. "I'd rather stand."

Jules's eyes narrowed threateningly. "Sit down."

I rolled my eyes, but headed over to grab a seat anyway. Jeez, there was really no need to be so bossy. It's not like I was majorly resisting or anything.

"Okay, here's the deal." Jules slicked back his blond hair. "All you have to do is tell us the co-ordinates to Griffin O'Connor's little hideout. He's number one on our Most Wanted list."

I sat there, fidgeting uncomfortably. Then Jules did the unexpected – he reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder, clearly trying to be sympathetic. I looked up and suddenly his eyes weren't angry anymore…they were sad.

"I know you're upset that your father's dead…"

"You said you'd put a knife through my heart." I couldn't stop the words from spilling out of my mouth. Dammit, why couldn't I ever keep it _shut_? "You told me if I got in the way of you getting to Griffin, you'd kill me."

Jules looked astonished. "Well…I was mad, Bec. People say a lot of things they don't mean when they're mad."

I shrugged his grip off me. He'd threatened to kill me. I didn't care if he'd been furious, he'd still done it. So he couldn't just sit here now and act like it was all okay. Because he could play the sympathetic card all he wanted – I wasn't buying it.

"I won't do it, Jules."

He dropped the sympathetic act like a hot donut. Instead he lunged forward, roughly grabbing my chin and turned my head so I was looking at him.

"Tell me where Griffin is, or I'll hurt you, Bec."

I managed a hoarse laugh. "Are you still saying things you don't mean?"

Jules's eyes flashed with anger and I winced as his grip on my chin tightened.

"Don't test me. I will torture you if you don't tell me. I can make you bleed. Trust me, you don't want that."

I wrenched my chin from his grasp, folding my arms across my chest and glaring at him.

"What if I was to say I honestly don't know?"

That was actually the truth. Jules might not believe me, but I truthfully didn't have a clue of the location of Griffin's lair. It was in a desert…apart from that, I knew nothing. Jules couldn't torture out of me what I didn't know. I could feel my hands becoming sweaty even at the notion of torture. I wasn't as strong and defiant as Griffin. I would break. I would scream. I would beg for mercy. I would humiliate myself.

Jules raised one eyebrow, something I'd always wanted to be able to do.

"You expect me to believe that?" he scoffed.

My eyes narrowed. "It's the truth."

Jules sighed heavily. All the remorse was gone from his eyes, making him look almost…empty.

"We'll see about that, won't we?"

I began to panic. "I can't tell you what I don't know!"

Jules stood up, folding his arms across his chest. For a moment I flinched back, scared he would hit me…but then I saw the triumphant gleam in his eyes and my stomach sank. This was even worse. I had the horrible feeling that he knew something he shouldn't.

"I get it now." Jules's voice was quiet. "I knew it. You love him, don't you, Bec? You're in love with Griffin O'Connor."

"What?" I cried, "No! No way!"

But somewhere deep down inside, there was a flicker of doubt in my own words – which I quickly extinguished. My little outburst had done nothing except convince Jules that he was right. He stood over me looking victorious.

"How's that going to go down, a Shade and a Jumper? You going to try and make that work?"

His voice was taunting.

"Shut up, Jules," I snarled at him, losing my cool, "Now you're just being a prick."

The grin slid off Jules's face as if it had been wind-screen wiped.

"We'll just see how things really are, won't we?"

Jules lunged forward and grabbed me by the arm then, pulling me across the room to what looked like a bed – but I started fighting when I saw the metal cuffs that clearly fastened around the ankles and wrists. But Jules was a Paladin with a lot more fighting experience than me. He just laughed and forced me down, calling in the others as I struggled like a wild animal.

He shoved me and fastened the cuffs around my ankles and wrists. I didn't give up the whole time. I just flailed and kicked. Everything Griffin had taught me had been thrown out of the window, because we'd never trained for the possibility of being captured by Paladins.

"Jules, please." My voice was soft now. "Don't do this. Why can't you just stop?"

"You don't get it." His tone was nasty. "It _doesn't_ stop. That's the only thing we and the Jumpers agree on: this war doesn't end."

Then my eyes widened as another Paladin moved forward with the most massive syringe I'd ever seen.

**Griffin's POV**

I gripped my hair in my hands as I watched Bec close the Jump Scar behind her. I couldn't get through it now. I wasn't a Shade…dammit, why did she do this? Then I focused my anger on Lance. He was the one who was responsible for this. I'd heard what he'd said to Bec.

"What have you done?" I demanded as I stalked towards him, "Lance, _what the fuck have you done_?"

He looked taken aback and he held up his hands in protest. The bloody coward. Always thinking about himself and his own. He couldn't be angry at me for leaving Alice to die when he'd done this to Bec.

"I'm sorry, Griffin! I didn't know she'd close the Jump Scar behind her!"

Now I had to make a decision – shit, I was bad at doing that. Normally it was fight or flight, but this time it was different. I could try and save Bec and be killed by Paladins – or I could leave her to die, knowing that it was my fault. It struck me then, as hard as one of the Paladin's whips: why did I care so much?

"Well, how about you tell me what I can do, huh?" I snapped at Lance.

He shook his head slowly. "That's up to you, mate. It's your choice."

Fuck. Lance had already guessed about my feelings for Bec…wait, _what_? Did I seriously just even…no. That girl was a mouthy, stubborn brat. How could I possibly have feelings for _her_? The only problem was, the harder I fought to deny it, the more I just proved it to myself. I did care about Bec, although in what way was still a muddle. I was a pretty messed-up person. Caring about people hadn't gone well for me before. It was easier just to let them go. Because the last time I'd cared, things got pretty fucked up.

But people had died then and unless I didn't do something, people would die again _now._ I didn't think I was willing to let my whole life get screwed over again. I had the chance to do something, to change. I knew what people always saw me as – bitter, vengeful Griffin O'Connor, a man who thought about no one but himself. I was determined to prove them wrong. I could be different. I could save Bec.

"You know what?" Lance watched me as I stalked across the room. "Fuck this. I saw where the Jump Scar opened. I can Jump there now."

Lance looked amazed. "You mean…you're going to get her back."

I felt my cheeks flaming. This didn't mean anything. Just because I was going to save Bec…Christ, why did people always _assume _things?

"It's…I'm tired of being predictable." Never mind that that wasn't the problem at all. Lance's eyes were wide, but I shook my head vigorously. "Don't think you're getting out of this. You put us in this shit in the first place. You're coming with me, Lance."

**Bec's POV**

There was a commotion in the corridor. The Paladin with the syringe paused and Jules looked over his shoulder, frowning. I started struggling in the metal cuffs again, but it was no use. Only when the shouting started did I realize that things were bigger than I'd first thought.

"See what's going on," snapped Jules, jabbing a finger towards the corridor.

He turned his attention on me, but I just spat in his face. Jules angrily wiped the spit from his face and opened his mouth as if to say something…but then the door slammed open and the Paladins who had been about to move out jumped out of the way.

Then Bec smiled because it was Griffin standing in the doorway, looking like some kind of avenging angel – if angels had flamethrowers in their hands and fire in their eyes. He was grinning wildly as he glanced at Jules, whose eyes had widened.

"Boo," he whispered.

Jules threw himself out of the way, landing heavily on the ground. The flames just missed him. Griffin lowered the flamethrower and headed over towards me, undoing the metal cuffs around my ankles and wrists. I tried to meet his eyes, but he was deliberately not looking at me. I felt a surge of guilt. Was this because of what I'd done?

Then as he was undoing my last wrist cuff, Jules appeared behind him with a look of murderous rage across his face. His hair was smoking slightly and despite my urge to laugh, I was also terrified.

"Griffin, watch out!"

Too late. As Griffin whipped around, I watched with horror as Jules punched him in the face. I struggled with my last cuff as Griffin bared his teeth and swung at Jules. I threw the metal link off and jumped to my feet. By this time, both young men were smashing at each other for all they were worth. Their eyes were full of loathing and I could tell that they really did want to kill each other with their bare hands.

"Stop!" I screamed, even though I knew I had no control over the situation. But I could see how Griffin's fist slammed repeatedly into Jules's nose, how Jules's hands grasped for Griffin's throat. I needed to stop this somehow. I leaned down and grabbed Griffin by the back of his leather jacket, attempting to drag him off Jules. I managed to roll him off, but that turned out to be a huge mistake.

Jules shot up from the ground, his eyes flashing with glee. Before I'd realized what was going on, Jules had pressed my back against his chest and a knife was at my throat. Wow, this seemed oddly familiar, like, let's think…when Griffin had first kidnapped me.

I was disgusted at how Jules had used my assistance against me. I struggled in his grasp, but the cold steel only dug further into my throat. Griffin had picked himself up off his feet, gritting his teeth – only to freeze when he realized that Jules held me hostage. God, I was so _sick _of this damsel in distress crap! Griffin's eyes were wide and he just stood there, not knowing what to do for once.

"Let's see if we can find out the truth," Jules sounded delighted, "If you love her at all, you'll give yourself in…"

"No!" I cried, but then I felt a trickle of blood from underneath the knife and I fell silent.

"…or you could let her die for you, as I'm sure so many others have."

Griffin gulped and just stood there and I realized that I was here, watching, while he made the hardest decision of his life.


	11. Fight Back

**#11 Fight Back**

I could feel the stinging pain where the knife dug into my throat. A nerve twitched in Griffin's forehead and he looked livid as he threw his flamethrower aside. I was horrified as I struggled in Jules's grasp.

"What the hell are you doing?" I cried.

His teeth were bared, but he was looking at Jules and not me.

"What does it look like, sweetheart?"

For someone who didn't know how to feel, he was certainly doing a good job of caring. If he didn't care, why would he have surrendered? I watched as he stepped forward, hands raised and then it hit me like a punch. Griffin would actually go through with this…for me. He must really be insane.

I couldn't let that happen – so I used one of the tricks that Griffin had taught me, twisting Jules's wrist forward so that he yelped in pain and dropped the knife. I pulled out of his grasp immediately, forcing his arm up and behind his back. Then I leaned down to pick up the knife and pressed it to his exposed throat.

"How does that feel, Jules?" I hissed at him. I felt…well, powerful. For once, I was in control of the situation and I knew I shouldn't feel good about this – but Jules had tried to hurt me, hurt Griffin. I pressed the knife a little closer, relishing it for a moment. "Does it feel good knowing you're helpless?"

I felt a restraining hand on my shoulder and whirled around to see Griffin. He was scowling and I couldn't help but feel annoyed.

"That's enough. If you're going to kill him, get it over with."

I ground my teeth. "You're not the boss of me, Griffin."

Griffin didn't contradict me. Instead, he held out his hand for the knife. I knew what he meant and suddenly, I was afraid. He was going to kill Jules. I had threatened the Paladin, but I knew him far too well to be able to murder him. I couldn't just stand by and watch Griffin kill him, either.

I withdrew the knife from Jules's throat and childishly hid it behind my back, shaking my head as I backed away from Griffin.

"I can't let you kill him."

Griffin's eyes narrowed and he bared his teeth.

"Don't be stupid, Bec. Last time you saved his sorry ass, he used you. Give me the knife, because you can't kill him."

I knew I was behaving stupidly, but there was no way I was letting Griffin get his hands on the knife. Desperate, I tossed it across the room – and both young men lunged for it. As they did, Lance staggered into the room with blood all over him…which I guessed wasn't his, because although his eyes were wild, he didn't appear to be injured. He noticed the tussle over the knife and raised a gun to point it at Jules's head.

"NO!"

Lance looked across at me, shocked. Jules saw his chance and lunged at the Jumper – but Lance saw this coming and immediately Jumped. Roaring in anger, he turned his enraged gaze upon me. His eyes glittered almost manically as he stalked towards me. Griffin Jumped right next to me, causing me to gasp loudly. He smirked at my shock.

"Don't get too excited, love."

He wrapped an arm around my waist and Jumped. I felt the familiar sensation of the Jump and I wasn't surprised when we arrived in Griffin's lair. I quickly snapped to and closed the Jump Scar behind us, only to turn and find myself looking at a very angry Griffin.

"What was all of that about, huh?" he demanded.

I folded my arms and tilted my chin up. "All of what?"

Griffin clenched his hands into fists. "You closed the Jump Scar so we wouldn't come through! Then you defended Jules from us. Are you mad, girl? With your dad dead, he's second-in-command of the whole Paladin chain."

He had to be joking. Jules wasn't even nineteen yet. I raised my eyebrows, but Griffin was deadly serious. He was also very annoyed that he hadn't managed to kill Jules.

"I…I've known him for years, Griffin. I just couldn't watch you kill him."

Griffin shrugged. "Fine. I'll just do it when you're not around then. But shit, next time try not to make it so that I have to save your neck."

I found that a bit hypocritical of him. The only reason Jules had managed to take me hostage was because I'd been trying to pull the two of them apart. I glanced around for support, before realizing that Lance wasn't there. Of course – why would he come back to the lair? He was smart enough to know that we'd both be mad at him.

That was when I remembered Jules's taunting accusations, the slight embarrassment when Griffin had put his arm around my waist to Jump us back. I was angry at myself as I realized that Jules had been right about everything. How was I supposed to tell Griffin this, just straight out? It seemed like the best idea. I waited until he'd calmed down enough to play Gears of War before I stepped in front of him.

"Bloody hell, you're in the way…"

"Griffin, we need to talk." My voice was serious but he seemed not to notice.

"I don't _talk_, sweetheart – I fight Paladins, I eat, I sleep, I game."

A wave of irritation swept over me. I wasn't a prisoner anymore and so I wasn't afraid of him. I stomped over and pulled the controller out. Griffin slammed it down and jumped to his feet, looking irate. I wasn't sure that this was the sort of mood I wanted to speak to him in. I swallowed.

"Can you please calm down?" I asked him, thinking maybe this had been a bad idea, "I just wanted to ask about…about how you feel about me staying here. You want me to leave?"

He looked very uncomfortable, fidgeting and averting his eyes.

"I didn't say that, Bec. I mean…shit, it's up to you. Do you _want _to stay?"

I tried to think of how best to phrase what I needed to say. I started to pace and I was aware that Griffin was watching me.

"If I stay," I spoke deliberately slowly, "There'd have to be a good reason for it. I wouldn't stay just to protect you, Griffin. After all, what's in it for me if I do?"

Griffin didn't answer. For once, he finally had nothing to say. I walked over to him, biting my lip as I did so. Would I regret this?

"What would you say if I said I loved you, Griffin?" My voice was little more than a whisper.

He was on his feet in seconds, his eyes on fire. I took a step back, but I realized that the look in his eyes wasn't angry…it was almost fearful. He was afraid of his own emotions, maybe of my emotions. Griffin grabbed me by the arms, pushing me back until my I hit the wall. For a moment, I wasn't sure if he was going to kiss me or hit me.

"Don't say you love me," he snarled at me, "I don't believe it."

He released me and I let out a shaky breath, rubbing my arms where his fingers had dug into them. Griffin was raking his hands through his hair, looking confused. The whole situation was awkward. I was left wishing I hadn't said anything.

"So you want me to lie?" I asked incredulously, "Griffin, I wish you'd stop pushing me away, pushing everyone away! Sooner or later, you're going to have to open up to someone."

He whirled around, eyes blazing. "What the fuck would you know about me? How could you possibly love me after all the shit I put you through? What are you, some kind of closet masochist?"

He might as well have slapped me. His words stung, but I was determined that he wouldn't see that he'd hurt me. That was what he was _trying _to do. I drew myself up to full height and crossed the room.

"You came back for me. No matter how much you try and act like you don't care about anyone else, you saved me when you didn't have to."

He was silent again. I noticed he tended to do this a lot when he knew that I was right.

"It's because you're scared of losing people," I continued, my voice quiet, "Every time you get close to someone, they die. But I'm different, Griffin. I'm not going to die…and I don't need you to protect me."

Griffin's lip curled into a derisive sneer. "What makes you think I love you?"

I flinched. "You don't mean that. You wouldn't have given yourself up otherwise."

Griffin snickered. "Oh, really? You think I did it for _you_? Sorry to disappoint you, sweetheart."

I knew his tactics. I could see what he was doing. He was trying to put on the whole bad boy act, pretending like he was a lone wolf and cared about no one but himself. Except it wasn't working, because I had him all figured out. I ground my teeth as I tried to figure out what to do next…and then my hand lashed forward and I slapped him across the face.

"You can lie all you like, but I can see the truth. You can't push me away like the others."

"I don't love you," snapped Griffin…except by then, we both knew it was a lie.

**Jules's POV**

I couldn't help but fume to myself as I stalked around HQ and saw the damage for myself. Those bloody Jumpers had killed three of us and just about ruined parts of the base. I seethed as I saw the roof just about caving in the armory. Well done, Griffin O'Connor. You win – for now.

The most annoying part of all was the dilemma that was Bec Carlyle. The little bitch had caused so much trouble…and then she'd gone and complicated matters by saving my life. I vaguely wondered why she'd done it. I'd captured her, nearly tortured her, threatened her with death…and she responded with saving me from Griffin? What the fuck?

"Get this place cleaned up," I snapped.

We wouldn't be able to find Griffin if he was with Bec. Lance, however – he was a different matter. The others would know by now that he'd betrayed them and he wouldn't want to hang around. If we could track Lance, we could torture Griffin's location out of him…and then kill him.

So yeah, okay. Maybe I was just a _little_ jealous that Bec wanted Griffin – and after today, it had become blaringly obvious that Griffin wanted her, too. She was so different from the girl I'd known in high school. Bec had become rebellious and independent. She didn't need Griffin…he needed _her_.

"We need to find Lance Dyson," I told the others, banging a fist down on the table, "He's number twelve on our Most Wanted list. He's going to be a tough nut to crack so we're going to need a little extra help."

The others were all muttering. I smirked. The person in question was an English Paladin by the name of Roman Larson. I remembered that he was some kind of psychopath – he was known for his sadistic methods and the ability to extract information from any source. I'd heard rumours he'd cut a Jumper's eyes out before, but I thought that was probably not true.

"We're bringing in Larson."

I could see the looks of disgust and fear on the Paladins' faces. Normally people tended to leave Larson in the English sector, because he also had a nasty habit of turning on those who objected to his methods. Several Paladins had also been killed by Larson.

I held up my hands to placate the others.

"Look, I don't want this any more than you do…but right now, it's the only choice we've got. Those Jumpers ruined our base and took the Shade with them. Don't you want revenge?"

The cheers and applause were answer enough.


	12. The Other Girl

**#12 The Other Girl**

**A/N: We're fast approaching the end of this story. Thanks to everyone who's been with me this far. I hope you've all enjoyed it so far, and enjoy what's left to come. Also, 'Te Amo' by Rihanna explains how Bec's feeling right now. **

**Bec's POV**

I sat in sullen silence. Neither Griffin nor I said a word. I thought I'd forgotten how to breathe, because I just wanted to scream until my lungs burst. I had been so certain about Griffin's feelings for me…then he'd spurned me. Now I just felt cold and alone. I had no father. I had no friends. Now, I didn't even have Griffin.

I wouldn't cry in front of him. I wasn't going to show him how he'd upset me. I'd thought he was a monster when he abducted me, and then I'd started to think more of him. Now, I was sticking by my first impression. Griffin O'Connor was a callous person who didn't care about anyone but himself.

"Bec…"

Griffin stood up and crossed over to me. He reached out as if to place a hand on my shoulder, except then he stepped back. I got to my feet and glared at him. He'd hurt me more than he could possibly imagine. Now I wasn't sure where to go. Jules would kill me. Griffin didn't want me.

"Well done, O'Connor." My tone was deadly calm and icy cold. "You _win_."

I was so incensed that I didn't even shout at him. I was beyond that point now and he frowned, seeming to understand this. I turned and walked away and Griffin reached out and snagged my wrist, attempting to pull me back.

"Just listen to me!"

I turned to face him, my eyes narrowed.

"I'm done listening, Griffin. I'm through with all of this shit. You're on your own now. You're _nothing_."

He flinched as if I'd smacked him. Sneering at him, I yanked my wrist from his grip and marched off. I'd get out of here as soon as I could. Right now, I just wanted to take a long, hot shower and cry myself to sleep.

**Griffin's POV**

I knew I'd hurt Bec and I was mad at himself. What kind of messed-up person didn't even want to admit the truth? But here it was, okay: I'd fallen in love with Bec Carlyle. Yeah, I couldn't even confess it to myself, definitely not to her. I don't know why I didn't want to…it wasn't about me. It was about _her_. So many people in my life had been hurt because of the Paladins. Bec was the best thing I'd ever had and I didn't want to lose her. So I was cruel and I pushed her away.

I raked my hands through my hair as I chucked down the Xbox remote. Not even Halo 2 appealed to me at the moment. This was just bloody ridiculous. I needed to get this sorted out or I'd be stuck like this forever, regretting what I'd done. I cursed and got to my feet, stomping into the room where Bec was sleeping.

I stopped and looked down at her for a moment. All the sadness and hurt was gone from her face while she slept. She looked…innocent. Like nothing in the world could hurt her. I wished things could really be like that. I was just content to watch her for a minute, before she frowned and shifted a little.

I leant down to shake her awake. When she realized it was me as she opened her eyes, she threw me a contemptuous glance that just made me want to crawl off and die. Fuck, didn't she understand why I was doing this?

"Bec, we need to talk."

She shook her head slowly, her dark eyes full of anger.

"I don't think so, Griffin. We're done."

I sighed as I sat down on the bed and raked my hands through my hair. Shit, this was going to be hard…but who'd ever said love was easy? She was the daughter of bloody Aaron Carlyle. I never would have seen this coming. Bec was watching me suspiciously, as if she didn't know what to expect.

"I don't know where to start," I vented, "Okay, fine. Fuck. Look, I did hear what you said earlier…and you were right. I do…I…"

I took a deep breath and counted to five. "Shit, I think I love you, Bec."

She sat up straighter, folding her arms across her chest.

"Why is that so hard?" she demanded, "Why couldn't you have just said that earlier on, Griffin? Don't you know how deep it cut me when you said those things? I just wanted…"

She placed her hands over her face and I wished I could put an arm around her…except that just wasn't me. What was it about this girl that drove away the tough Griffin O'Connor and replaced him with a Jumper who actually had _feelings?_

"I don't do this," I muttered. "We can't…have a relationship or that kind of shit. It's too dangerous. What do you think would happen if the Paladins found out? I'm not having them use you against me. I'm not letting them hurt you like they have everyone else."

I couldn't get her hopes up. She was watching me with a wide-eyed expression and I knew what she wanted, what she needed. Her father was dead and she needed some sort of comfort. A hug, a kiss maybe…shit. I had to stop this mess right now.

"We're not doing this." I shook my head vigorously and my voice was firm now. "We can't. This isn't what I want. I don't want…_this._"

I gestured between her and me. Bec's eyes flashed with hurt and I knew I was making the same old mistakes…except if it would save her life, it was worth it. She knew how I felt. So none of the rest of that shit mattered.

"So, you love me, but you don't want me?"

I clenched my jaw and forced myself to lie. "Pretty much, yeah."

Bec was shaking her head in disgust when I looked up, with that crippling look on her face again, the one that made me feel a little suicidal.

"I don't believe this," she whispered, getting up out of the bed, "I don't believe what you're doing."

She stalked out of the room. I gave it a few moments before I decided to follow her, except then it was already too late. Bec was gone.

**Bec's POV**

I don't exactly know how I managed to find Lance. All I know is that one moment I was in Griffin's lair and the next I was in a swanky apartment that must have belonged to Lance, on my knees and bawling my eyes out. Lance crouched down in front of me and reminded me to breathe, because I'd started hyperventilating. His eyes were huge as I finally calmed down and started wiping the tears away from my eyes.

"Is he dead?" Lance demanded in horror.

Of course. I felt like an idiot. My reaction had obviously led Lance to believe that Griffin was in great danger from the Paladins, or else dead. I shook my head, feeling my cheeks flushing a heated red. I must look like a total moron.

"No! Nothing like that. I guess…I just overreacted…"

By the wry expression on Lance's face, he'd probably figured it out. Seriously, why did everyone seem to know before I even did? Jules, Lance…umm, wasn't I supposed to be the first one to know that I loved someone?

"You're in love with him, aren't you?" Lance's tone was dry.

Then I was crying again, feeling all messed up. Yeah, I'd seen those movies when those girls cry because they're heartbroken. Well, movies forgot to mention that everything else hurts, too. It feels like you're _breaking_. Also, movies never mentioned this shit. Why was I crying when I loved him and he loved me? Wasn't it supposed to be okay?

Lance put his arms around me in a hug and for a moment I imagined him as Griffin, pressing myself fiercely into his chest…except Griffin would never be so caring. Disappointed, I disentangled myself from Lance's embrace. He regarded me critically.

"So, what, you told him?"

I nodded and sniffed. Wow, I must seem like such a sap.

"Yeah, and after a bit he said he loved me back…expect…oh, I don't know. It's so fucked up. He doesn't want anything because he's worried that the Paladins are going to hurt him by killing me like they have everyone else in his life."

Lance stroked his chin thoughtfully. Then he went into the kitchen after indicating for me to sit on the couch. He returned two minutes later with two bottles of beer. He offered me one, and although I don't usually drink beer because I find it disgusting, I thought this situation needed something. Ignoring the horrible taste, I downed about half the bottle in a couple of gulps.

Lance sighed heavily. "Well, Bec, you probably already know that Griffin's been through some pretty nasty stuff. But there's one thing he wouldn't have told you about. The Maria Santini incident." He took a gulp of his own beer and smiled sadly at my confused expression. "Griffin's life really is tragic. When Griffin was around sixteen, he fell in love with this Italian Jumper…Maria Santini. She was the same age as him, beautiful, smart…we all thought it was going to last forever."

I could see where this was going and I pitied Griffin more than ever. I also understood that there were more reasons for him pushing me away than I thought. He didn't want me to replace Maria Santini.

"But we all know the Paladins mess up everything. There was an ambush in Rome one time at one of the clubs. Well, you know Griffin…he fought like mad against them, except there was one guy with them who even Jumpers like Griffin know to be afraid of: Roman Larson."

I'd heard of him before. He was a sadistic Paladin who was known for 'playing with his dinner'. In other words, he liked to torture Jumpers for long periods of time before he'd kill them. I heard that he once had this poor Jumper girl for three weeks before he finally ended it. I suddenly felt cold as I realized I didn't remember the Jumper girl's name.

"Larson took Maria. I don't know what kind of shit he put her through for nearly a month, and I never want to. Except the horrible thing is, Griffin does. After Maria died, Larson left him a note detailing exactly what he'd done to her. I remember Griffin went pale and vomited in the nearest trash can. I've never seen him so shaken and Griffin's seen a lot of gory things. So if a note just describing what had happened could affect him so badly…I don't know."

"Didn't Griffin try and kill him?" I asked in barely more than a whisper.

Lance snorted. "Griffin wants to kill everyone. He goes after Paladins, yeah…except everyone knows you don't go after Larson. He bided his time, waited it out…yet he still hasn't had the opportunity to get Larson yet. You do it at the right time, or you're fucking dead."

So Maria had been the girl who'd been tortured for weeks. She'd only been sixteen. I felt sick at the thought of it. I hoped I would never meet this Roman Larson.

"What, so Griffin thinks Larson's going to get me and torture and kill me like he did to Maria?"

Lance downed more of his beer and shrugged.

"Who knows what Griffin thinks? All I know is it would have been easier if you were a Paladin."

I didn't understand. "How?"

Lance gave me a 'duh' look. I felt stupid but still didn't get it.

"Then he wouldn't have loved you."

I want to bawl again, but not for me. That would be selfish. I wanted to cry for what had happened to Maria, for Griffin…for all of it.


	13. Catch You

**#13 Catch You**

**A/N: This is the LAST CHAPTER, everyone. I hope you've all enjoyed this story and it's sad bringing it to a close…but meh, it has to be done. I'm planning to write another Griffin/OC at some stage, but since I'm in my last year of high school in 2011, I'm not sure when I'll start it. Read, enjoy and review!**

**Griffin's POV**

She came back after not long. I'd been so worried, feeling guilty about the things I'd said and done…but then she was just back. I was angry again, but it was more of a concerned angry. Damn it. I wanted to tell her I loved her, but I knew all I'd hear in return was nothing. I'd spurned her, so why would she even want to talk to me?

"Where have you been?" I demanded.

There were tears sparkling in Bec's eyes and I shut up, immediately knowing something was wrong. She had a slightly guilty look on her face and I wondered, with numb horror, if she'd turned against me after all. Then I noticed the blood that was spattered across her face, the messy state her hair was in, and I felt my stomach freefalling.

"What happened?"

"I talked to Lance." Her voice was little more than a whisper. "He told me about Maria. I'm so sorry…I didn't know…"

Of course she hadn't known. Shit…it hadn't been Lance's place to tell Bec all of that, but I suppose he must have felt sorry for her. After all, now Lance knew how I felt. Alice had been killed and I still knew it was partially my fault. My stomach knotted up because of it.

"You know I don't mean that. Why is there blood on your face?"

I walked towards her, slowly and almost stiffly. Then suddenly I found myself kissing her despite my better instincts. That girl was like a fucking drug…and I was addicted. I was weak when I was with her, but that was okay but I made her strong. I could taste the bittersweet, metallic tang of blood on her lips.

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer. I wanted this so much…even though I knew it was wrong. Then I felt her shaking and realized that she was crying. Man, we were so fucked up. I pulled away and looked at her, at the tears and blood mingling on her cheeks.

"He's dead, Griffin." Her voice was louder this time. "The Paladins had located him just before I got there. It didn't matter that I masked him, because they still knew. They came in, and it was Larson…"

Then she was sobbing again and I could understand her pain. Knowing Roman Larson, Lance's death wouldn't have been quick. I felt sick and I turned away from Bec, not wanting to see my own pain reflected in her eyes.

"Jules made me watch." Bec's voice was thick with emotion. "They tied him up and to this _machine _and it just kept pulling him tighter and tighter…and then it was just over. It pulled him apart. It's not my blood on my face, Griffin. It's his."

She had gone extremely pale. She swayed and I thought she might faint, but Bec was made of stronger stuff than that. I didn't doubt that after what she'd seen, she'd already vomited up all she could. Now I found myself feeling sorry for the kid. She'd practically been an innocent. She still didn't really understand the war. Then the Paladins had quartered Lance in front of her. Everything was different now.

"Is that what he did to Maria?" Her voice was rasping now as she stumbled towards me, catching me by the shoulder and whirling me around.

My jaw stiffened. "What Larson did to Maria was…worse."

I didn't want to tell her. She'd just witnessed Lance's death. She didn't need me to explain what had happened to Maria. I felt sick myself at the mention of it. Bec had been the one to witness Lance's violent death.

"How did you get back here?"

Her lips curved into a humorless smile. "You know how, Griffin. I opened the Jump Scar."

That wasn't what I'd meant and we both knew it. Bec dipped her head, looking ashamed of herself.

"I had to kill one of them. It was the most horrible thing I've ever done."

"Stick with me," my voice was hollow, "And it won't be the last person you kill."

Bec was silent for a few moments before she asked: "Can I?"

I whirled around, confused. "What?"

"Can I stay?" she asked, wiping at her eyes. "I'm sorry. It's just…I have nothing. I understand if you don't want me here…"

It was time for me to be a man and I'd realized that meant admitting my feelings instead of hiding them away. I took a deep breath. Griffin O'Connor sure had changed in the last few days. I didn't think I was him anymore.

"I want you to stay."

Bec blinked, looking confused. For a moment she just stood there, but then she moved towards me and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me into a tight embrace.

"We have to do something about Lance's death," she whispered, and I could hear the spirit of a Jumper in her tone, "We have to get revenge."

**Bec's POV**

Honestly? I was terrified. I'd seen the horrific things that Roman Larson and Jules were capable of and I didn't want to fight them. I remembered what Griffin had taught me, yet I didn't know if I could do it. There was a good chance that Jules would have to be killed. I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to deal with that.

I'd come up with a plan. Griffin hadn't liked it, but I think that had been partially out of jealousy. I was being sent right into Paladin Central, as I liked to refer to it…and if I wasn't convincing, I'd be killed. Griffin would follow me through once I gave him the signal. He'd already Jumped to the Paladin base in the dead of night and left my written message on Jules's table.

"Are you scared?" Griffin asked me quietly, his hands on my shoulders.

I nodded. There was no point denying it.

"Very scared."

Griffin paused. "Are you scared of me? Of what I might do?"

The only time I'd been scared of Griffin for my own sake was when he'd kidnapped him. I'd been frightened for my life…but I didn't fear him like that anymore. He was a deadly force to be reckoned with and I feared him for Jules's sake. I averted my eyes, not willing to confess my weakness, my ties to the life I wanted so badly to leave behind.

"Yes."

Impulsively, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. He was getting better at this sort of thing…it wasn't awkward between us anymore. When we pulled apart, my cheeks were flaming red and Griffin was smirking. I hit him playfully, but then turned serious as I turned and took a deep breath, focusing on what I had to do. I opened the Jump Scar that led to Paladin Central.

I swore as I found myself in the middle of a corridor with dozens of Paladins looking at me in shock. Shit. I could never get somewhere unpopulated, could I? Then I saw Roman Larson moving towards me with an insane grin across his face and I suddenly went cold as ice. I had to force myself not to run as he grabbed me by the arms, his nails digging painfully into my flesh.

"Well, well." His breath was hot on my cheek. "If it isn't little Bec Carlyle."

I steeled myself. I had to be brave. For Griffin. For Lance, Maria and Alice…and all the hundreds, maybe thousands, of Jumpers who had died.

"I need to speak to Jules."

"Oh, really?" Larson sounded amused. "Why would that be?"

I couldn't believe what I said next. "It's none of your business."

A nerve twitched in Larson's cheek and he raised a hand to slap me. I winced and closed my eyes, preparing for the impact…

"Stop."  
It was Jules. I opened my eyes and struggled free of Larson, yelling out Jules's name as I sprinted towards him. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tight. Jules tensed, clearly surprised.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, forcing myself to sound apologetic, "I should have known better than to trust a Jumper. After what happened with Lance…I just don't think I can do it anymore. Besides, there's something else…"

I forced back bile as I pressed my lips to Jules's and kissed him. The age-old art of seduction. It worked every time…well, most times. I could only hope it would work now. The thought of Lance's death, of needing to avenge him, made my kiss seem more real.

"I love you," I muttered.

Jules examined me in confusion, but he didn't look too displeased. Boys, honestly.

"What brought this about?"

A hateful expression crossed my face as I looked up at Jules.

"Griffin. He betrayed me. He told me he didn't love me. I realized…that it wasn't him I loved."

Jules was still looking suspicious. I knew he'd ask me to prove my loyalty. I was prepared for that. He folded his arms and regarded me critically.

"Alright then. Bring me to him."

I nodded mutely. I'd had a plan for this. Griffin and I had talked it out. I opened the Jump Scar that led to Griffin's lair, turning back to face Jules with a triumphant expression on my face. Jules strode forward, looking like Christmas had come early. Then, before Jules could say anything, I'd pulled my hair lackey out of my hair and flicked it through the Jump Scar, which then shimmered slightly and closed.

Jules turned to face me with an angry look in his eyes. He bared his teeth and marched towards me and I couldn't help but smirk, despite how dangerous the situation was.

"I win."

_Any time would be great, Griffin._

It was almost like he'd heard my thoughts – because a second later Griffin had Jumped right next to me, grinning at Jules and Larson. Jules lunged for me and Larson lashed out at Griffin. Everything happened so fast. One minute we were there, the next Griffin had grabbed me and Jumped.

We all landed on a cliff edge – the four of us. I screamed as I found myself leaning over the edge, but a strong grip around my wrist stopped me from falling. I couldn't help but smack Griffin as he pulled me back up.

"What's the big idea?" I demanded, and then pointed as Larson sprinted towards Griffin, "Look out!"

It wasn't until it was too late that I realized I'd lost sight of Jules. Someone grabbed my arms and twisted them painfully behind my back and a feeling of dread overcame me. I watched as Griffin and Larson attacked each other and then Jules called, "Roman."

I started to struggle when I saw Larson pull out the knife, his eyes glittering with madness. Jules's attention was focused o Griffin.

"You made a stupid choice, Jumper. Now I'll let Larson do to Bec what he did to Maria."

Griffin roared with rage and lunged at Larson, who turned around and quickly cut a slash across his arm. I screamed when I saw the blood pouring from the wound. Griffin turned deathly pale and I realized that Larson had severed a main artery. Griffin needed help now, or he wouldn't survive.

Larson just sniffed disdainfully as he turned away from the Jumper and headed towards me – and that's when I realized it was my turn to fight. Griffin had taught me a lot. I just had to use it. I saw Griffin on the ground, spattered with blood, and my anger gave me strength.

I kicked the knife from Larson's hand and then slammed my foot backwards so that it collided with Jules. Both men staggered backwards and I suddenly realized that, hey…I could do this. Griffin had Jumped across and grabbed the knife and Larson turned on him, eyes gleaming.

"I've been waiting for this day," Larson said, relishing the whole situation, "The day I'd bring down Griffin O'Connor. I've got something very special planned for you."

Griffin's lip curled in disgust, but I was too busy with Jules to worry about him and Larson. There was an almost hurt look on Jules's face and I knew he was trying to play the sympathy card. After all the stuff he'd done? I don't think so.

"You turned your back on the Paladins, Bec." He sounded like he was trying to suppress his fury. "On your legacy. On me."

"Oh, please," I snorted, "Don't pretend for a minute that you'd have cared if I wasn't Aaron Carlyle's daughter."

I lifted my leg and kicked him in the chest. He stumbled backwards and so I had time to turn and watch as Griffin kept Jumping around Larson, confusing him. The man was growing desperate, his teeth gritted as he lashed out in every direction. Then Griffin was right in front of him, his eyes shining dangerously.

"Boo."

Then he plunged the knife into Larson's stomach. I knew enough about wounds now to know that gut wounds were the slowest and most painful. It would take Larson a long time to die. He seemed to realize the same thing, his eyes widening as he pulled the knife from him and stared down at the wound as if he couldn't quite believe it.

The knife dropped from his shaking fingers and he collapsed to the ground. Griffin watched the whole thing dispassionately and I knew immediately that this was Griffin's revenge. I wanted to beg him to stop, but I knew why he was doing this. For Maria.

I whirled around to see where Jules was, but his attention was focused on Larson as well. The man was spitting up blood, laughing through crimson-stained teeth. Wow. He must be a masochist as well as a sadist.

"You stupid Jumper," he hissed at Griffin, "Killing me isn't going to bring back your little girlfriend."

"Finish it, Griffin." I didn't want to hear Larson taunting him. He didn't deserve a quick death, but by doing this, Griffin was only proving that he could be just as bad as the Paladins. "Please, just kill him."

Griffin looked reluctant, but then he picked up the knife and cut Larson's throat. The man, finally released from his pain, fell forward with glassy eyes. I looked away, unable to stomach the sight…then I saw Jules clambering to his feet, murder in his eyes. He was sprinting towards Griffin, but I was closer.

Without saying anything, I shoved Griffin out of the way – so that it was me Jules attempted to push over the edge. I gripped his arm tightly though, so that when I fell, I took him with me. I saw Griffin's eyes widen, heard his panicked cry: "Bec!"

The last thing I remember was Jules and I hitting the water far, far below.

**PARAGRAPH**

My eyes flickered open to the steady beeping of a heart monitor. I groaned as I realized that I was in hospital, at least judging by the white walls, white sheets…white everything. I turned my head and saw Griffin sitting quietly across the room.

"What…what happened?"

"You're an idiot," Griffin seethed, standing up only to start pacing, "You let Jules get you instead of me…what were you thinking? If I hadn't Jumped down to get you, you would have drowned."

"Jules?" I asked tentatively.

Griffin shook his head vigorously. "Nowhere in sight. I think – I _hope_ – he drowned."

I sat up straight. Apart from feeling a little bruised, I couldn't see that there was anything wrong with me. It must have been hard for Griffin to bring me to a hospital. He was the secluded sort and he'd done this for me.

"Thank you. I feel much better now. Any chance we can get out of here?"

Griffin's anger dissipated immediately and he grinned as he walked towards the door.

"I'll go convince reception, eh? Then we can get out of this hellhole."

"Griffin," I said hesitantly, prompting him to turn, "Is this whole 'us' thing…does it still scare you? Is it still not what you want?"

There was a cocky smile on his face. "No Jules. No Paladins – for now. Things are looking pretty good, Bec. In fact, I'd say bloody brilliant. Besides, if it's you and I in the lair…you're going to be driving me crazy if I lied and said I don't want it."

I poked my tongue out. "I'd be driving you crazy anyway."

Griffin chuckled, shaking his head as he went out to reception.

I smiled, knowing that this was how things would be from now on. Griffin and me. Once I wouldn't have thought it possible, except now things were different. For now, the Paladins had been thrown off our trail. I didn't know what the future held, but the present was good enough for me. After all, how many other girls had a boyfriend who could Jump them anywhere in the world?

"Bags clubbing in Las Vegas," I called after him.

The possibilities were limitless – just like me and Griffin. We knew no bounds.


	14. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**A/N: This is just a bit of Griffin/Bec fluff. Some people expressed interest in an epilogue…so here you go.**

_**Three months later**_

I was grinning madly as I led a blindfolded Griffin through the bustling streets of Dublin. It had taken nearly an hour to convince him to put the blindfold on in the first place. He was so bloody suspicious.

"Why do you need to blindfold me?" he'd asked suspiciously.

"I'm leading you into a Paladin ambush," I'd replied, my expression deadly serious. When Griffin had looked at me in alarm, I sighed heavily. "Come on, Griff. It's not every day you turn twenty-two. Do it for me, okay?"

I guess telling him to Jump to Dublin had ruined the surprise a little. But now, as I led him down the busy streets and towards a small Irish pub, I felt that it was all worth it. I'd partied like a New Yorker, surfed like a Fijian, loved like a Parisian, gambled like someone from Las Vegas…but I hadn't really drunk like an Irish person yet.

"Ta-da!"

I yanked the blindfold off and Griffin looked up at the pub: 'The Four-Leaf Clover'. He snorted and shot me an 'are-you-serious' look.

"The Four-Leaf Clover? How much more Irish can you get?"

I nudged him playfully. "Shut up. I thought it would be nice."

Griffin grinned and kissed me lightly on the lips. When a guy hasn't really known affection for over a decade, it's a bit hard to teach him, but Griffin was working on it. The holding hands and hugging made him feel a little awkward, except for some reason he was okay with the kissing. In fact, he was pretty damn good at it.

"It is. You ready to get smashed, Bec?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, I can hold my drink just fine, thanks."

Griffin waggled his eyebrows. "We'll see about that."

I grabbed his hand and half-dragged him into the pub. I immediately marched Griffin up to the bar and grinned at the barman.

"Two of the strongest beers you've got please, on me."

Griffin chugged down his beer and glanced around. A lot of people were already drunk, stumbling around, their speech slurred. After about an hour, Griffin went to order his fifth beer, but I batted his hand down.

"You think that's all I brought you here for?" I giggled, clearly a little drunk. "Silly, silly Griffin."

I gripped his hand in mine and dragged him towards one of the tables and started fussing, taking his leather jacket off so that he was just wearing a shirt. Then I jumped up on the table, much to the disgust of the barman, and pulled Griffin up with me.

"It's his twenty-second birthday!" I shouted, cupping my hands around my mouth, "Give us a break."

The hint of a smile tweaked at the corners of the barman's lips and he nodded. Then the song changed on the jukebox to a song I vaguely recognized and I gasped in surprise and clapped my hands.

"It's…what's that song called? The 'I love rock and roll' one."

Griffin was looking a little uncertain as I started swaying from side to side and clapping my hands, but there was no denying the alcohol. After a few minutes, he was singing just as loud (and out of tune) as everyone else. I had Griffin's jacket draped over my shoulders and I was twirling around and around, laughing…

That's about as much as I actually remember.

**PARAGRAPH**

I woke up with a throbbing headache and I groaned and pushed my face into my pillow as Griffin came into my room with a smirk on his face.  
"Morning, sweetheart. How are we feeling?"

I threw my pillow at him. "Go away." Then I smelled something in the air. It smelled like…food. That was ridiculous because I was the one who cooked. When it was Griffin's turn it was always takeout. It smelled like…

"Pancakes?" I said hopefully, sitting up.

Griffin laughed and ruffled my hair.

"You're so cute when you're excited."

I frowned as I clambered out of my bed. Griffin was so immature. He then proceeded to grab me and hoist me over his shoulder and walk towards the kitchen. I thumped my fists on his back, but it didn't do anything.

"Hey, put me down! I can walk myself!"

"Yes, but this is so much more fun." Griffin drawled, bouncing on the balls of his feet to prove his point.

When he finally decided to put me down, I swatted at him and then realized that there were pancakes at the table. They actually looked okay, not burnt or anything. I turned to look at Griffin, folding my arms.

"Okay, who helped you?"

Griffin had a smug smile on his face.

"Just because you're a rookie when it comes to pancakes."

I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him fiercely. Griffin had made pancakes for me. Griffin, who never cooked. Griffin wound a hand through my hair and when we broke up, he was looking cocky.

"I think that's payment enough for the breakfast."

I gnawed at my lip, suddenly uncertain. Kissing Griffin had inexplicably reminded me that I wasn't even nineteen yet, that I was still a teenager. Still so young. What would I do if Griffin decided he didn't want me anymore? Where would I run?

"Griffin." He looked at me quizzically when he heard how serious my tone was. "Do you think we're going to last?"

Griffin ran a hand through his hair and cursed under his breath. Questions to do with relationships weren't what he was good at.

"Jeez, I don't know, Bec." My face fell and I turned away, but he caught me by the wrist and spun me back around. "But I bloody well hope so."

"Oh," I could breathe now. I felt weak at the knees as I offered him a relieved smile. "That's good. Here I was thinking you only let me live with you because I'm a Shade and the Paladins can't find you."

"Of course," Griffin's tone was sarcastic, "I'm also a prostitute part-time. Just thought I'd let you know."

I rolled my eyes and mocked punching him, but Griffin just drew me closer and pulled me into a hug, resting his chin on my head. I understood how much this meant. Griffin didn't make pancakes. Griffin didn't give hugs. Yet, here he was…doing both.

He cleared his throat and pulled away, his cheeks flushing red.

"Well. That was…weird. Maybe we should…"

I shook my head and laughed delightedly.

"Just kiss me, idiot."

Griffin was all too happy to oblige.


End file.
